Batman Beyond: Face Off
by fallen angel overlord
Summary: UPDATED! After over a year of nothing I've finally finished the chapter, most of this story got lost when my CPU got fixed sorry. Nearly at an end but the badguys have struck...at just about everyone!
1. Hinder Help

BATMAN: FACE OFF

Chapter 1: Hinder / Help

The chopper flew overhead, on white and one black blade spinning silently. In the stealth chopper Masque stood. His mask was half the moon and half the sun the latter smiling and the former in tears. It was secured on his face, his piercing blue and green eyes glaring out from them. His suit was to one side black with gold cuffs and lapel and a white fingerless glove while the other was white with silver.

"Okay everybody we all know our roles" he called to the others in the chopper. "So lets get two-faced!" With a psychotic cackled he leapt out of the chopper that was painted black and white, a parachute opened and he glided, with his gang in toe, towards the large statue a motorway was built around. "We all wear masks folks, every last on of us. Unfortunately I'm forced to wear mine because it's not PC to be TCP...that's Totally and Completely Psychotic for those of you home schooled". He flashed a grin beneath his twisted mask's face. "HEY I CAN SEE MY HOUSE FROM UP HERE!! ANYONE GOT A FIRE BOMB?" he launched into another crazed laugh as he stabbed a piton into the statues forehead and descended spraying black pain from his cans as others sprayed white on the other side.

"This'll get their attention," grinned Masque in a calm voice before switching to the maniacal snarl. "OKAY BOYS AND GIRLS...HELL, LET'S BE PC AND SAY PEOPLE! WE HAVE A DIARRHOEIC DUO TO DISMEMBER—so make sure you all brought safety goggles".

They descended the front of the statue. Hopping down over the giant's body to land on the roof of the nearest building. It was an art museum. Slipping inside the Masque gang fired their weapons and grabbed hostages.

======================

Selina and Bruce sat at the computer. "Masque" Selina said coolly. "He's at the Vreeland Memorial art gallery. I'll call the boys in"

"Good idea" Bruce said. "I doubt the authorities can handle him again."

"They couldn't the first time," sighed Selina.

"I know, but I'm trying to be positive"

=========================

Chris was in the bookstore. His silver ring with the ruby in it flickered and caught his attention. "Oi, can't I have one outing that doesn't end in the punishment of criminals? I have to start school next week!"

He grabbed the book entitled "My Life As A Bird" by Oswald Cobblepot and paid for it at the desk, then sprinted out of the shop.

============================

"In 2004 Harvey Dent had surgery and became an upstanding citizen again after this face and the brain damage were repaired" Matt recited. "He has retired to Cleveland to run a small law firm with his wife Fiona who is a lawyer too. His son Jared disappeared...ummm..."

"We're set on two-face I think" Mary said from the kitchen. "You'll win full marks for this presentation on past villains of Gotham Matt."

"Definitely" Terry said with a smile. Secretly knowing that his brother had left out a grandchild...but that was a carefully hidden secret from the public until they could find a way to get it out without causing a storm.

His watch started to bleep. "Mr Wayne's paged me, I have to go"

"Call me if you'll be back late" his mother called after him as he rushed out the door.

=========================

"Masque?" Chris asked.

"Masque" nodded Terry.

They entered the cave. "Masque's just made an attack on the Vreeland Memorial Art Gallery" Selina said. "And he's got hostages. The security staff were the only ones there, but there was five of them"

"To the Batpoles Batman" intoned Chris removing his red sunglasses with a grin. The pair walked over to the cases and pulled them open. The Batmobile surfaced and beside it the Redwing cycle. The Redwing cycle was long and low on the ground with a red opaque screen over the seat that the rider needed to lie into to ride.

"It's the car, chicks love the car" smirked Terry.

"I want a car," Chris said.

"We've been through this" Selina sighed. "You're too young and when we actually did let you drive the Batmobile you crashed it through a large neon sign"

"Well at least it wasn't a curb," muttered Chris. He climbed on the bike and revved it up. "Don't wait up" he called.

"No stupid risks" shouted Selina. "Unless they're stylish and daring, no risks!"

"Sure lot's of stupid risks!" shouted Chris as he shot off the platform, the wheels of the bike snapped up and a rocket fired. He sped off on the hover bike. Terry sighed and leapt into the Batmobile. He shot off after his partner.

"They grow up so fast" sniffed Selina dramatically. "One minute they're fighting the psychotic son of a nutcase in goggles...the next they're saving the city!"

"Selina" warned Bruce.

"Oh. Pull up the plans to the building and call Babs" she muttered. "She should talk to the boys. We don't have access to police files like you used to we have to co-op with her a little differently."

With a sigh Bruce turned to the computer.

============================

"Veronica Dominium" the tanned young woman said. "Gotham Times. Commissioner what is going on inside the gallery? Are the hostages in grave danger?"

The Commissioner looked at the young woman cynically. "Aren't you a bit young for the Times?" she muttered.

"Intern" the girl sighed. "And freelance"

"Go home kid"

Before Veronica could retort the Batmobile descended and the Redwing Cycle pulled up. "Batman and Robin!" gasped Veronica. "Wow!"

The Dark Duo rushed to the Commissioners side. "Masque, right?" Robin asked.

"Got it in one kid" Barbara said. "He's taken the security personnel hostage up there after he defaced the monument nearby. The gallery occupies three floors and has an art collection valued to a maximum of two million for certain pieces".

"Abanda in Repose by Hielle" Robin said. "Made by the artist in 1889, didn't become famous for a hundred years. The Abanda in Repose painting is worth—based on the highest known bid—two million four hundred and twenty eight thousand dollars and twenty three cents."

"Clever kid" Barbara said as she handed the folder to them. "Masque's file. All we have on him: Wade Masters, 21. He used to be an actor until an accident did something to his face a few months. He's been in Hollywood since he could walk and was big on charity work...now he's taken to anarchy and Two-Face style crimes and coin-flipping. He escaped the hospital plastic surgery wing six months ago leaving a doctor dead and two limping orderlies. He snapped the neck of a police officer that tried to grab his mask so---don't touch the mask" she shrugged at the simplicity of the advice.

"Keeping it in mind" nodded Robin. "Shall we?"

"Up, up and Away" nodded Terry. They shot upwards disappearing into stealth cloaking devices as they did. They landed on the roof and peaked in the large window. Inside two guards were on their knees, arms behind their heads. Behind each was a man. The first had dark skin and a white suit; the other was exceptionally pale and dressed in a black suit.

"No sign of Masque" whispered Chris.

"Let's take the elevator shafts in," whispered Terry. "What have we got on the building?"

"Something new on the camera's" reported Selina. "Two hostages, a man and a woman, with Masque in the portrait gallery. He's just talking to them, I pray to God he doesn't flip the coin."

"Let's hurry shall we?" Chris suggested.

"The elevators are still active but I suspect they're booby-trapped" Bruce said. "Check them out so there's an escape route."

"Okay" Chris said. "Found their ventilation shafts" he wrapped his fingers in the metal bars and pulled them off with all his might. "Let's do this". He slipped in and fired a grapple into the roof and rose up to it. "The roof of the shaft is clear for explosives," he whispered into his link.

Terry fired a Bat-grapple onto the wall and turned his thrusters on, slowly he descended. "No explosives on the roof" he said. "I'll check the sides".

He slid down the side of the elevator car and spotted the C4 charges. "When this guy goes this way he goes the whole way," he muttered as he removed the charges and casually attached an anti-detonator to each one.

"I'll take care of them," Robin said. "You scope the halls"

With a nod Batman pried open the elevator doors and slipped into the hall as Robin turned his attention on the deactivated charges. "Gotta love this job," he muttered as he set to work.

=======================

Masque paced up and down the room, the sound of the chopper outside buzzing loudly and the echo of his footsteps chilling in the room. The two Adonis-like twins stood side by side in their half-black, half-white suits. "Tell me Right and Wrong," he sighed to the pair who had perfect blonde hair and blue eyes. "What makes a man a man?"

"Uhh..." the first began

"Let me guess your father never gave you the Talk" the woman sneered; her blonde hair was over her face as she kneeled before Right. Masque flipped the coin. "Heads you live, Tails you die"

The coin landed in his palm, he glanced at it and sighed. "You live...oh well" he muttered.

He paced over to the picture at the centre of the exhibit. It was a woman wrapped in an autumn coloured material lying asleep on a bed of dark flowers. "I never liked Hielle he was so passé in my view...but everyone else liked him and thus I had to. When I was a child I used to wish I could play ball in the park...then my parents said "No you're a star now GO STAND IN A RED HOT AUDITION STUDIO LINE FOR THREE OR FOUR HOURS"---and of course I didn't take it well."

He straightened his mask; his black and white hair was visible just behind it near the bas of his skull under the spot the mask ended. He scratched that spot and turned to face the hostages. "Tell me, do you like Hielle?"

The man (in his twenties, shaking, brown haired and in a business suit) just trembled unsure of how to answer.

"What kind of question is that! ?" exclaimed the woman. "If we answer Yes you'll shoot us for not agreeing with you and if we say know you'll shoot us for agreeing with you!"

"Touché mademoiselle" Masque muttered. "I am impressed, okay I withdraw my question".

He spun abruptly and stabbed his twin bladed knife into the frame of the painting. "To destroy...or not to destroy? That is the question I ask...all human's just go DESTROOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYY---am I right or am I right, Right and Wrong?"

"Right boss" Wrong chirped.

"Now...when Flat-man and Ribbon get here I'll have lots of fun with them" he grinned.

"Really? So will I!" the woman asked. "Watching them Kick your ass into grass".

"You'd be surprised at what I can do," snapped Masque. "I'm not just a pretty mask as those Horribly Heroic Heroes will soon find out! They've fought my gang now and again...but this time they play against me!"

The door exploded inwards the batarang hit the guns out of both Right and Wrong's hands. "Guess who's here!" cackled Masque. "Get him!"

Batman leapt forwards from the shadows and hurled the bola's snaring Right in the cords. He ducked a left hook from Wrong and elbowed the man in the side of the face. Wrong staggered aside as two more men came in. The pair he'd spotted from the sky roof had their hostages... guns pressed to the guards' temples.

=======================

"Hey!" someone shouted. The twins turned to see Masque approaching. "Boss!" the pair chorused and saluted. One was dressed in silver and the other in gold. "What's up?"

"The Bat and the Bird are in the building. Watch out they could be anywhere!"

"We're on guard boss!" nodded the silver one. He had Moon embroidered on his jacket while the other had Sun on his coat. "Nothing gets past us," they said turning away from their boss. He placed a hand on their heads and bonked them together.

"I have so much faith," Robin said as he turned off his holographic image display and darted down the hall.

==========================

Raising his gun the first smirked. His black suit and pale face contrasted incredibly, he had "Black" written on his lapel. The other was evidently "White".

"My, My, My" Masque said. "You've not got many choices here...bad guy or a set of hostages...want to borrow my coin?"

"How about not" a voice called. Robin's batarang imbedded itself in the wooden floor and exploded in a bright flash. Black and White shrieked in surprise...and both received a kick to the back of the head.

Terry pivoted as Chris dispatched Black and White. Masque grabbed the woman and hauled her up. She grabbed his hand and twisted it. He yowled in pain as she swung a leg up into his torso. She judo flipped him totally.

"Well that was fun," she said. She brushed her pale blonde hair out of her face. "Melanie Walk...Castle. You arrested me when I was Ten".

Terry gave a stiff nod. Masque vaulted to his feet. "Yowza toots! No bad!" he grinned. Mel leapt away.

"I'm not crazy enough to deal with you" she sniffed. "Uhh...I'll do my part and get the hostages out" she said and ran to the stunned young man and security guards. Guiding them to the elevators.

"I trapped the elevators you sap," laughed Masque as he pulled a small black and white lighter from his inside pocket and pressed down on it. Batman smiled, there was silence and Masque let out a groan. "There goes my fun!" he sighed and pulled a half-black and half-white ball from his pocket. "So...let's play ball!"

He hurled the sphere at Batman, it bounced and split into one black and one white ball, then continued to multiply from there, bouncing around crashing into the walls. Masque watched as the orbs slammed into the pair knocking them about like fists to their bodies.

"I hope it hurts" he sneered.

Robin covered his head, the migraine was unbearable...there was a flash and the spheres fell to the ground limply around them. Masque groaned. "What was that?"

"Sunspots" Robin suggested with a shrug. He charged forwards and swung at Masque. The man dodged aside with surprising speed and darted to the window. "Okay 2 on 1 just isn't fair!" he whined. "Have to go!"

The chopper circled around as his henchmen rose and untangled themselves running for their boss. He raised his hand, a shackle shot out and snagged his arm, and another launched and caught Right's wrist, then Wrongs and then Black and then White's. They were pulled backwards into the air and reeled into the chopper.

"Batmobile" Robin and Batman sighed together.

==================================

The Batmobile sped across the sky after the chopper and along the streets. Terry and Chris climbed out. "I have a feeling we should tell Granddame not to wait up," shouted Chris over the whistle of the wind.

"I'm right here Christopher. I said no stupid risks"

"But this is stylish and daring" he mock-whined.

"Oh, then go for it" Selina sighed. "But NO stupid risks"

"I know, I have to abide by the rules of both sides of my family...nothing stupid," he grumbled.

"I'm surprised you remembered" Bruce said dryly. "You're usually daydreaming when we're talking to you." Chris gave an inclination of his head and jetted upwards, grabbing the tracks of the chopper. Terry grabbed the opposite and they swung in. Masque spun and swore violently.

"These men take their jobs FAR TOO SERIOUSLY!" he snarled. He pulled out his pistols, a black one with a white grip and a white one with a black grip. He aimed down and fired. Robin bobbed his head just in time.

"Hey! Watch it!" he shouted.

He swung upwards and slammed a foot into the chests of Black and White. They fell back in surprise. Batman flipped up on the other side and Masque sighed loudly. "I mean REALLY, can't you two take a hint?"

His arms snapped out, the hooks snapped onto the utility belts. The pair weren't fast enough; he leapt and performed the aerial splits, kicking them both out of the chopper. They hung below, trailing in the wake of the chopper. "HEY BOYS WANNA SEE THE SCENIC ROUTE?" he roared down and gave a giggle as he flipped the coin. "Sorry boys! It's the death sentence! FOR BOTH OF YOU"

The chopper swung around and headed for a building, just passing over the roof. The Duo swung at the wall and ran up the vertical surface as the helicopter continued on. They rushed across the roof and swung on...

Terry pulled a buzz saw from his belt and turned it on the cable. The cable sparked under the blade, the strange covering over the cord didn't seem ready to break. "Batman...Batman!" called Robin. "BATMAN!" Terry looked up, the huge neon sign was dead ahead.

"Watch out!" Selina shouted too late. They went crashing through the sign, sparks flying and neon shards crashing downwards as they passed through it.

"Are you two okay?" Bruce exclaimed.

"Get back to you on that one later" Robin groaned.

Terry pulled a batarang from his batbelt and hit the charge button. It was explosive... he hurled it at the wires as Robin flicked a throwing bird. The small explosions blew the steel cords apart.

Masque stared down and abruptly covered his eyes with and arm and shouted "WAAAAH" at the top of his lungs. Then he pulled a Tommy gun from the hands of one of his henchmen and opened fire as the Dynamic Duo shot towards him. They split on either side of the stream of bullets.

Snapping a red wing at the chopper Robin grinned. The projectile landed inside the chopper, sticking from the roof. "This is not good," muttered Masque. The bird exploded into a blaze of light. Terry and Chris vaulted into the side doors. Masque pulled off his black and white sunglasses. "I'm annoyed gentlemen" he stated. He ducked low and hooked the back of Robin's leg knocking him off balance. The Boy Future flipped backwards and helicopter-ed his legs knocking Masque backwards. Terry lunged grabbing the man's wrists.

"You're going to jail" Terry grated.

"You're going out the door," Masque said simply. He rammed a foot into Terry's gut and shoved him backwards with surprising strength. Terry crashed into the corner on top of Chris.

Masque hopped to his feet and pulled on a parachute. "I've targeted the Vanity Fete magazine offices, this bird will launch itself on turbine rockets into the front blowing it off THE FASHION LISTINGS AND STRAIGHT INTO THE OBITUARIES LIKE A GOD DAMN BAT OUT OF HELL, so I hope you brought some sun tan, its about to get hot in here!" He waved and performed a back flip out the door. "Catch you on the flipside" he cackled.

"Terry that building is full of people!" Bruce said. "He's going to kill over 500 people with that helicopter! You have to avert its course."

"The rockets at the back" Selina said. "My guess is that they're hidden in a compartment before use, if you use them early you might be able to divert the course..."

"The controls are gone," reported Robin.

"Locked?" Batman asked.

"No, gone" Robin said pointing into the cockpit. The panel with the switches and buttons was removed completely but for a small screen bleeping red with a 3-D shape on it. The Vanity Fete offices.

"If we blow up the chopper" Terry began

"The debris would kill anyone below but in a wider space," sighed Bruce.

"Chris, anything you can do?" Selina asked.

Chris knelt by the control wires. "Too many wires to connect and not enough time"

"Can you point the chopper upwards?" Terry asked. "While I access the turbine rockets?"

"I get what you mean" nodded Chris. "But you need to enable the rockets fast and get them running if it's going to work"

"On it" Terry nodded. He climbed out the side of the chopper on his metal claws heading for the panel at the back of the chopper. He forced his laser from his belt and managed to fight the velocity of the chopper enough to laser open the lock.

On the roof of a warehouse Masque raised the black and white lens-ed binoculars, which showed everything in perfect colour, to his eyes and grinned. Night appeared on the roof with a tray of snacks. "Pass the popcorn" Masque said politely. "AND DON'T SKIMP ON THE BUTTER!!"

He grinned as the chopper headed for the Vanity Fete offices. They camped out on the parachutes eating cinema treats. "Uh...boss...is the Bat supposed to be doing that?" Wrong asked.

Slowly and carefully, almost afraid of what he'd see, Masque raised the binoculars to his eyes, munching on popcorn. "What's he doing?" he murmured as the bat crawled along the side of the chopper.

================================

Chris connected the wires to a small mass of circuitry and touched his mask. "Well?"

"I just have one more wire" Terry grimaced as he tried to steady his hand. The thrusters jutted out from the back of the chopper now and the screen he was working at was blinking a countdown to "PHASE 1".

"It's going to fire the turbines in 60 seconds!" Terry exclaimed. He slammed the bat-bombs into the sides of the chopper.

"Get rising now!" Bruce roared.

"Sheesh! Cool your jets," muttered Chris as he connected the wires and moved the small cyber grid around. The chopper flipped upwards so it pointed at the sky. It spun for a moment like a dizzy child before...

The missile-turbines at the end hissed and blazed shooting upwards. The bat-bombs bleeped and there was a flash as the chopper exploded into an infernal cloud of gold and red high above the city. The two figures dropped away from it.

"I love this job," grinned Chris to Terry...and then they crashed through the windows of the building they'd been trying to avoid.

========================

"Ms Walker"

"Castle"

"You're Melanie Walker"

"Melanie Castle"

Veronica Dominium frowned and put her digital pad down to her side. "You're Melanie Walker from the Royal Flush Gang, I know who you are"

"Who I was," corrected Melanie as she tried to get past the woman blocking the way off the steps. "Now move"

"All I want is to know what happened up there," Veronica said calmly. "Do you have any details?"

"Two things" Mel said. "And they are: PISS OFF"

Veronica frowned. "Listen toots" she said darkly. "I will get my story, don't make me bring Ten of the Royal Flush Gang into it...coz I will. And it won't get pretty."

"Don't start with me" warned Mel. "I just want peace"

She disappeared past Veronica into the crowd.

==========

"Honestly how could you miss an entire building?" Selina muttered as she dabbed Terry's back with anti-sceptic. "And get glass in such an inconvenient place? Chris, I have to admit I expected it from you- don't look at me like that, who here decided to go snowboarding blindfolded- but Terry! I thought better of you!"

"Selina, leave the boys alone" Bruce sighed. "I have the files on Masque"

"Finally liberty from the speech" Chris muttered.

"Don't start with me birdie" warned Selina.

"Wade Masters, age twenty-one and height 6 foot 2 inches. He started his career at the age of 5 under the guidance of his mother/manager Geraldine Masters. His first job was as a spokes-child for Tiny Trikes. From there he went into the Children's Channels as a "kidz-newz-reporter" and then became a performer, singing and dancing.

He got a job at 10 in a TV movie for children called "A kid in Ali-Baba's court" then he was in another TV movie called "A Mother's tears", that drama launched him straight into a sitcom called "Blame it on Billy" that ran for three years until two actors died in a fire...a fire that nearly killed him when it made scenery fall on him.

After that he was in the big movies and one of the brightest stars, he did charity work for every cause imaginable and was doing well...up until an accident. It's not known why, but he was at a synthetics factory. There was an explosion and chemicals were spilled. The doctor who removed his bandages after the operation... was found with his head facing the wrong"

"Reads like a fan page" Selina said dryly.

"Part of it was" Bruce said as he rose and walked with Ace (who was ever so aware of Selina and her two Cats Isis and Hecate) to a holographic display of Masque. "If he is like Two-Face then we have a lot to worry about. He's totally unpredictable despite the rather narrow line of crime."

Selina sighed and rubbed her cheek. "I wonder if he has the same left side punch as Harvey," she muttered. "Though, tying him up at the bat signal would be a nice memento of the old days."

"We're Batman and Robin Granddame" sighed Chris. "Not Catman and Robbing"

"He was seeing a therapist when he was younger" Bruce said. "Dr Enid Dartmoor, I'll contact her and see what she has to say about him. Any information will be helpful. Though I doubt she'll give up much. You two should go and rest...I'll call your mother Terry."

He turned to look at Selina. She was gone...

"I never realized how irritating that could be---" he muttered. Ace gave a bark.

TBC

In the next chapter: Introducing Iola Van Drake, a magical assistant who's father taught her everything he knew...now she's out to get Gotham and the world in her grasp...and who better to help then The one and Only Masque?

Veronica bumps into Terry and minor sparks fly. Chris starts school. Mel has a relatively good role and Bruce and Selina probe for information on Masque beyond the fan pages.

Until the next episode...

Same Bat Story

Same Bat Fan Fiction Site!

Ugh that just doesn't run...oh well...put the announcers voice with it and it sounds better.


	2. Pretty Ugly

FACE OFF

Chapter 2: Pretty / Ugly

Tada! Chapter 2! Please review! It's not a waste of time. But this is a pointless rhyme.

Veronica was typing as Murray entered. Martin Murray was a young attractive reporter with a nice tan and dark hair. He put the coffee on her desk. "So what happened at the Vreeland Memorial Art thing?"

"Hostages, Public Property Damage and the Caped crusaders...that boy wonder really is a boy wonder if the suits anything to go by...but Batman was..." she smiled to herself and showed the pictures to Murray.

"And they're supposed to affect me how?"

"Well you know" she sighed. "Just trying to confirm if you really are seeing that cute Asian artist guy from that cosmetics art contract we covered...so? Are you?"

Murray looked at her. "Rumours, rumours, rumours, when did we stop dealing in the facts?" he grinned. "You're trying to be an investigative journalist...investigate."

Veronica laughed as Murray walked away.

Terry sat up, sweating, his nightmares had gotten to him again...he couldn't breath sometimes they smothered him so much. He swung out of the bed and pulled a T-shirt on. He opened the door slowly and stepped out of the bedroom, avoiding the creaking floorboards he'd memorized by heart...he descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. Sitting in the early morning light was Chris.

He was dressed in green pyjama trousers and an open white shirt. "Hey" he said.

"Hi Chris" terry said. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Don't very often" shrugged Chris. "And when I do I never dream... Orange juice?" he offered the carton to Terry who took a glass from the cupboard and filled it.

"S-o-o" Terry ventured. "What's happening?"

"Not much" Chris said. "Reading a print-off on Masque...and yes it IS disturbing. He randomly murders people, even the profilers can't peg his actions down to anything other then a coin toss...and that's exactly what it is might I add."

Terry paused; he could see the blue of the genetic burns on Chris's shoulder. Chris self-consciously pulled the shirt up on his shoulder properly. "We're not going to have an easy time with this" Chris said stiffly.

"So you were beaten and humiliated?" whispered Max with a laugh. The laugh continued- - she actually had to lean against the wall of the library to steady herself. Terry rubbed his face as he searched for the books he'd come to get.

"No, we still averted disaster" he replied casually.

"Yeah—but he got away" she pointed out calmly. She took one of the books he'd balanced on a knee. "Dream Decryption? A guide to understanding the symbols of dreams? What the hell?" she muttered.

"I—I've been having bad dreams" Terry admitted.

"About what?" Max asked, as they sat at a table.

"My dad...I dream I'm there when he's killed and I can't help him and other times I dream—a-a-ab-about Erika and watching her d-die and...sometimes" he drew a shuddering breath. "Sometimes I'm the one that kills them"

Max swung around the table and kneeled beside him. "Oh...Oh Terry no. You didn't kill either of them. You probably couldn't have saved your dad...and Erika—Erika is better off with the peace of death then the torment of the madness inflicted on her. She was falling into the darkness you are always slightly in...she wasn't someone you could save..."

"No I could have. What good is being Batman if I can't save the people I love?" he whispered. He wiped his eyes and looked at her. "I'm a failure and if I hadn't done things wrong...they'd both be alive...it's my fault they're dead!"

His voice came out in a whisper next. "I killed them..."

Warehouse 22-22 was on the docks, a dull building you'd never look twice at. Unless you were one of Masque's goons. In which case it was home. The lower floor was on one side a luxurious casino like lounge with wide-screens and relaxing settings. The other side was a nightclub-esque dance floor and ever so slightly dungeon-like. Flashing floor panels and go-go cages.

The upper floor (reached by a pair of large stone staircases at the end of the room that pointed in opposite directions, one draped with a black banner emblazoned with a golden sun and the other white with a silver moon) was stranger still.

The left side on your entrance was brightly lit with white everywhere and frills and soft things to be seen on all sides...the right was dark and dank with harsh spikes and leathers.

In the dead centre, just between both lines was a chair. On it sat a disgruntled looking Masque. His consorts frolicked over. "Gee boss you look down...can I get you tea?"

"He wants coffee!" snarled the other.

"Nice...Tea. Naughty...coffee" he snapped. "Irrelevant" he stated.

The girls sighed and sat onto an arm of his chair each. Nice was platinum blonde; she wore ribbons on gold rings in her hair, which was styled into ringlets. Her top was soft lace and off the shoulder, her skirt was pearl studded silk embroidered with white roses and hemmed with silver. A lace wrap around her waist shimmered with a dousing of sequins and she wore a pair of frilly white sandal high heels and carried a small white fluffy puppy with a ribbon in its hair and around its neck. Her bands of pearls around her neck and diamond bracelets and rings were all for her expensive taste.

Naught was raven-haired; the untamed main laced with dark braids falling to her shoulder blades. She wore a black corset and leather skirt with garters attached to her eight inch heeled boots that were slit down the back to reveal dark tights. Her blood red lips pursed and she pouted running a long black opera-glove covered hand along his cheek, the spiked wrist bands grazed his bare chin as she stroked the moon on his mask. She also wore a dog collar and was decked out in gold and rubies. "Poor baby" she pouted. Her black cat hissed from its laze on the table.

"Yeah boss...what did those mean old brats do to you?" Nice asked cuddling up to her boss. She was coiling her finger in a strand of his white hair playfully. Naught y gave his black strand a tough pull.

"Listen baby" Naughty said. "Pop the princess and her mutt and you and me can make some noise!" She kissed him on the right side of his mouth leaving a red mark.

"Ignore the harlot and her hellcat" mewled Nice. "You and me? We've got it all going for us. Ditch the witch and I'll scratch your itch" She left a glittering pink lipstick mark on the left side of his mouth.

"I have other things on my minds" grated Masque. "The dumb-namic duo ruined my fun yesterday night. I mean how THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO SCREW GOTHAM when they make is to hard?"

Both girls gave an "Awww" and kissed his bare neck. He grimaced and rose. "Girls gather the boys, I have something I want to do," he said. "I need a theft to...UNWIND AFTER SUCH A DAMN CRAPPY NIGHT...please?"

"Since you said please" Nice cooed and sauntered over to the old-fashioned white phone on a vanity table.

"Since you threatened" growled Naughty and sashayed over to her black trucker radio.

Terry crossed the room with Bruce and Chris. Chris drifted with them, he didn't like being near the media, he was admittedly afraid of what they'd do to him if they ever found out about his meta-human heritage...

"Hello Mr Wayne" Joe Rake was the Editor of the Gotham Times. "I'm glad you agreed to an interview. My office is just this way...if your aid and—grandson - " note the squirmed way he forced out Grandson. "- Want to wait out here we can have a tour of the building?"

Chris instantly nodded and moved away. Terry looked at Bruce and understood to follow Chris. "VERONICA! SHOW THESE TWO GENTLEMEN AROUND!"

Veronica strode over from her desk. She was dressed in a denim suit with a turquoise suit. "Hi I'm Veronica Dominium...intern/freelance," she said as she straightened her hair. Terry nodded.

"I'm Terry McGinnis and this is--"

He'd never actually said Chris's name...not fully. It was Chris...but how did he end it? He'd never heard it said in full...

"Christopher, Christopher-Vincent Kyle-Wayne. Chris if you don't mind" he said with a slightly forced smile. Veronica nodded and gave a polite smile.

"The prodigal grandson" she nodded. "At last I meet you. Getting your picture is hard". Chris had died his hair completely black for non-costumed times. Chemicals he applied to his hands revealed the white when he needed it. If he just wore a full mask...

"So I'm supposed to show you two around," she mused.

She led them along a glass-lined corridor. "The Joker blew up the side of the building and we remodelled after that giving it more shine then a floor polishing marathon" she smiled as she pointed to the side of the building plated with glass.

Terry nodded. "Like half the city?"

She gave a light laugh. "More" she said. "You should see the property damage raked in, around Christmas even! That entire fiasco with Catwoman, Zeiss, Cartland and the Orphans!" she noticed the uneasiness in the air as the pair nodded.

Chris looked around and yawned. "Okay, I'm going to the arcade, you two can flirt or whatever...tell Mr Wayne I'll see him later" he shrugged.

Veronica watched him go. "Why did he call Mr Wayne--"

"They're not close..." Terry shrugged. "Chris was only found recently and he and Mr Wayne just—haven't—been – there. If you get my meaning."

"I get it" Veronica nodded. "I was adopted when I was 4, my foster-family was great and I live with them even now. My biological father and mother—they lived in Keystone. I talked to them a while back...met them. They love me, they were young and wanted a good life for me so they gave me up" she shrugged. "We get on but it's not the ideal relationship"

"Sharing I see," Terry said.

"It's no secret, I'd tell anyone. I don't like secrets it's why I want to be a reporter" she replied. "Even if I'm a tour guide most of the time...what are your aspirations?"

"No clue" shrugged Terry. "Just letting it take me where it wishes. Chris doesn't have to worry; he's a freaking genius. Mr Wayne'll give me a glowing résumé for my nearly two years of work...I think I have a chance at a good job. I'll just wait and see."

"Sounds like a plan" Veronica mused.

She smiled. Terry smiled. Spark.

"So...what do you do for fun?" Terry asked.

"I like the movies" she replied simply. "They're always fun to go to. And I like concerts...I like dance clubs and just getting out in the city."

"Well I know a good movie that's on tomorrow night..." Terry said. "If you're going and I'm going then I could go at the same time as you and give you a lift..."

Veronica stopped, turned and faced him. "Why Mr McGinnis...are you asking me out?"

"That is quite definitely what I'm doing," he said. "I never know how long I have with someone so...so I have to act fast and spend some time with them in case they leave..."

His eyes seemed so sad when he spoke...she smiled at him faintly.

"Why not" she said at last. "I don't get asked out by cute boys at work...you do realize I'm 17 right?" Terry nodded. "But only until next month!"

"I turned 18 in November" Terry said. "No worries...so long as you don't have a problem with older guys..."

Veronica flashed a smile and linked his arm. "Oh I don't"

==========================

"Dr Taylor wouldn't break patient-doctor confidentiality," Bruce said as he descended the steps to the bat cave. "We'll have to go without". Selina coughed and put the file down. Bruce approached and leafed through it. "How did you get this?"

"Well I asked nicely," Selina said.

"You broke in didn't you?" Terry said.

"Pot-ay-to, pot-at-oh" Selina shrugged. "The point is that we have the file..."

"You shouldn't have done that Selina..." Bruce said. "What if the good doctor had a tracer on her files in case someone stole them, everyone learned their lesson after the Luthorgate Scandal."

"Don't worry darling Bruce," sighed Selina. "I photo printed them, those are copies"

"It says here," Chris said. "That he had issues with his mother and not being able to be himself...his mother caused pretty much every kind of suppression and repression you can find in a person in him. He was on anti-depressants, which caused up-and-down mood swings that the media interpreted as him being bipolar. His mother played on that to vault him upwards in the world...god that woman was a social gorilla, doing a LOT of climbing...bitch too. Anyway---"

"The police files said his girlfriend filed a missing persons...her name is Andromeda Monroe and she lives in Tyson Heights apartments," Bruce said.

"Andromeda Monroe!" exclaimed Chris. "The super model. She does all the modelling for the Frame Cosmetics Company. She rakes in 2 million a fortnight and is famous for the 27th James Bond Movie because she was the third actress to pull off a successful bikini scene. She's been seen on the arm of some of the most powerful and influ-"

Terry calmly put his hand over Chris's mouth. "Photographic memory training ends for him" he said to Bruce. "He's got it down -oww". Chris had bit his finger and stepped away. "Come on let's go visit her..."

Andromeda sat up in bed, her long straight black-brown hair combed over to one side. She slid off the bed, throwing off the thin sheet. She was dressed in a white silk nightgown that was stopped just above the ground. She pulled on a matching robe that trailed behind her and didn't bother to close it.

"Wade?"

She stepped into the living room of her apartment, it was all in white and crystal, it was actually quite humble...though few humble people had a white grand piano by the sliding doors to a marble fitted balcony.

"Why did you think it would be Wade Masters?" a voice asked. She spun around and punched the shadow in the gut. Batman twitched. "I wasn't surprised by that," he admitted.

"Oh...sorry" Andromeda said.

"S'alright" a voice from behind said. "He's used to girls beating him up..." Robin was leaning against the wall. "We have to ask again, why did you think it was Wade when you woke up?"

Andromeda looked at Robin. "I—I was dreaming about him" she said calmly. "I miss him, can you blame me? I loved...love him."

"To Andy, yours forever" Robin read from the small card attached to the dark red and vibrant white roses. "Nice choice whoever they are"

"I have many admirers," she said calmly. "They send me lots of flowers...some dead, some alive. I appreciate the alive more. What can I do for you—gentlemen?"

"You filed the missing persons report...why didn't his mother?"

"Doreen?" Andy seemed to find this supremely funny. "Don't make me laugh!" she said bitterly after composing herself. "Doreen is a vile toad of a woman who—no I won't say it. I promised Wade."

Robin was over by her phone he lifted it. "Can you call the reception with this?" he asked. Andy frowned and nodded. "Just curious."

"Promised him what?" Batman asked.

"He doesn't like his mother, it's no big secret...just—that's all I'll tell you! Go away!" she snapped ferociously. Terry remained unmoving. "Leave me alone! I've been so worried about Wade for the past six plus months! I don't need you two, who might be the ones who kill him, bugging me!"

"Look, we won't kill him, he needs help and if you talk to us--" Terry began

Andy moved swiftly and pressed the small pistol into his chest. "Wade and I met at a shooting range, he instructed me on how to shoot properly, don't make me show you what I mean."

Chris placed a gloved hand on Terry's shoulder. The pair vanished out the window and off the edge of the balcony. Andy put the pistol back into the small white garter and walked back into the room.

"We didn't get much from her," Terry said as the Batmobile cruised across the sky. "She's hiding a lot...Wade Masters definitely contacted her. Probably frequently."

"We have to tap her phone lines...I don't like to do it. But to catch Masque I'll do what I have to" Bruce said.

"Already done," Chris said. He sounded like he was looking for some kind of commendation.

"Good" Bruce said and shut off the link.

"Why do I bother?" muttered Chris from the Redbird jetting along beside the Batmobile.

The 50-sense Lounge was a Vegas glitz and glamour type place in Lower East End Gotham. Okay, it didn't have the glitz, or the glamour...or anything much in common with Vegas other then the neon and the people throwing money away. It was where The Great Linguini (this moron wasn't from England OR Italy, he was a twerp from Ohio who didn't know what Linguini WAS) and his assistant the lovely Iola were performing.

To exactly 3½ drunk people (One was semi-conscious) and possibly more but most were smoking at the bar. "And now I open the box and the rabbit..." Linguini's press-on curly moustache fell off as the rabbit hopped out and off to the left wing. Iola rolled her eyes and strode off stage as Linguini gave bows to the completely uninterested audience and rushed after her.

"I thought you'd taped the panel properly this time!" snapped Linguini at the girl. The lights clunked off as the people filed out of the building, closing it and leaving them to clean up their equipment.

"I did your timing was off" she replied.

"Oh why would I listen to you? You're just a show girl!" he snapped. "In fact you're an unemployed show-girl! You're fired!"

Iola spun and glared. She had auburn hair and blue eyes and was dressed in a patched up pink showgirl outfit with a headdress that had barely any feathers left in it. She stalked forwards. "You can't fire me! I'm the one holding you up! My father taught you everything! It's not my fault you're a hack who can't do anything right!"

"Shut up and get out. Your father was a hack"

"How dare you!" Iola hissed. "He was a genius!"

Linguini was pot-bellied, in his fifties and totally oblivious to danger it seemed. Iola pulled off her pendant, a teardrop shaped ruby attached to a gold chain. She raised it and held it up at him. The light caught it. "The demon's eye sees all Linguini" Iola said softly as the lights flickered in his eyes, dancing off the ruby. "The demon's eye sees within you Henry Gold and you want to serve it..." she smiled.

Linguini's eyes glazed over. She smiled and led him up the stairs to the catwalk over the stage. "When I snap my fingers you'll believe you're Peter Pan" she said. He nodded. She smiled. "Daddy wasn't a hack" she added, and snapped her fingers. Linguini leapt off the catwalk and screamed, the spell broken---followed by all the bones in his body. "Now for the suicide note" Iola giggled and sashayed off to find a pad and paper.

"The Double Edged Sword, dug up in Italy a few months ago. This is definitely what he's after, too good to pass down especially since this is its second and last day in Gotham" Selina said.

"The museum security is tight" Bruce said. "There – down Ace- there is a chance they won't get through to the sword, but if they do make sure to recover it, the political ramifications could be disastrous. The Italian government wouldn't be happy, neither would the mayor, not with elections coming up."

Terry and Chris were on the roof of the museum. "Okay, no sign of him" Robin said.

"It's early yet," reminded Batman.

And then all hell broke loose. The Armoured Car rammed into the doors of the museum. It was spray painted randomly with black and white and the bumper had been reinforced with large spikes.

"There we go" Chris said and vaulted off the roof.

"He certainly know how to make an entrance," Terry muttered.

"Actors" they shrugged.

The security guards looked up, the doors of the main room to of the museum exploded open, and they were set at the top of two curving staircases on the floor above the ground level. The men spread out along the balconies to the other exhibits and others came running down the steps. Most were dressed in black and white balaclavas and ski suits with Kevlar chests. But some wore different clothes, like the man at the top of the stairs. He was dressed as he had been during his raid on the art gallery.

Masque.

"Hold it right there!" one guard shouted. "Drop your weapon!" he exclaimed.

"If you insist YOU IDIOT" Masque sneered the small ying-yang disk over the railing. It exploded flinging the men backwards. The Desperado's stormed down. Sun and Moon held metal throwing versions of their namesakes and flanked him on either side. Beside them were Black and White holding pistols up, ready to fire. Moving down either staircase was Night and Day (Night Dressed in a black suit with silver sequins and a silver tie, Day dressed in a powder blue, white pinstriped suit and gold tie) descending with the Desperados. Night and Day were twins, identical, the same scars on their high cheekbones, the same curly hair and the same blue eyes.

Wright and Wrong looked to their boss. "Should we go get the sword?" they asked.

"Yes, you two with me, Black and White will oversee the capture of the guards" Masque said. "And THEN WE CAN EXECUTE THEM if I feel like it."

The glass three floors above them shattered as two figures came through it. Batman jetted at Masque and Robin landed in the midst of the Desperado's. "Okay! Here's the game plan," Masque said. "KILL THEM!"

He pivoted and darted down a side passage as Black and White took a swing at Batman. He ducked. Black (dressed in his White suit) swung again as he fired under arm. Terry darted aside and a batarang removed the armaments. Terry kicked White off balance and jump kicked him into a wall. He rushed after Masque.

Robin extended his hand, the staff snapped out. "Okay, bring it on" he said. The first Desperado tackled him. He rammed the staff into the stomach of the man and swung the other end into the side of his head. He spun the staff quickly at head level and knocked the men around him away. He back flipped over a tackle from Day and leapt up onto a display cabinet as Night fired at him. "Come on, let's see what you boys have got!" he exclaimed.

"Hey Boy Future!!" Sun shouted as he hurled the bladed disk. "Catch!"

Chris flipped to one side, his staff in both hands. He slammed his staff into the tiles and used it to let himself run up the wall and grab the raised banister of the stairway, vaulting over onto the steps. He kicked Sun down the stairs. "Sorry you missed"

"I won't!" Moon exclaimed. The moon boomerang slashed across Chris's arm. He shouted in pain. The returning boomerang was targeted for his neck...and then it veered off course and dug itself into a wall. Moon stared...Chris kicked him in the gut and punched him out.

The Gotham Ritz booked only the biggest acts. Iola marched into the office of the entertainment manager. She was dressed in a blue power suit and meant business. She held up her medallion to the secretary. "The demon's eye command you to obey," she said to the woman. "Mr Rothman and I are not to be disturbed."

"Yes Miss" the secretary murmured.

Iola entered the office and shut the door, she raised the pendant. "Who the hell--" Rothman was dressed in white trousers and a blue coat. He was in his 50's and had white hair and a beard. His eyes glazed over as the pendant glinted.

"I'm your new star act" Iola said. "And it's going to be a gala event when you book me to entertain the Investors Ball" she said calmly. "Isn't that right?"

Rothman could only nod.

Wright and Wrong fired at Terry from behind the pillars. They had covered Masque's route to the display room. Terry leaned his back against a pillar and snapped two batarangs out. "Batman!" Wright called.

"Batman!" Wrong called. They were waiting.

He hurled the batarangs; the snap and flash of light earned Terry a unified cry. Wright and Wrong staggered about. Finally they blinked and looked at one another. "Where's the Bat?" they asked. "Did he run away?"

"Not really" a voice said from behind them. They turned around and were punched so hard their heads spun. They crashed to the ground and Masque's route was now open for Terry.

Masque was standing at the glass case. He flipped his coin. "Stylish or DESTRUCTIVE?" he mused. He caught the coin. The batarang cracked him in the side of the hand. He shouted and dropped the coin. "You're gonna pay for that one! The Death penalty still stands!" he snarled to Terry who was standing in the doorway.

"You'll be lucky if you don't get it" Terry said.

Masque spun and pulled the black and white pistols from his coat. He fired. Terry dived aside as the blasts tore up the floor. Masque walked towards him, firing non-stop. Terry dived into a flip and vaulted a display case. Masque blew the glass on the case away. "Why do you protect them Bats? You and I both know that they were all to willing to crucify you when the twins set you up".

Terry went into stealth mode. He darted along behind Masque. Masque turned and fired. "They'll turn on you again, its all the now never the next! Its what's in fashion and Correct now and not what's basically RIGHT at its core!"

Masque touched the corner of his mask and a blue and a green shutter closed down on either eye. "They don't care...but you and I? We're exceptional. We have the power, the intelligence to do what must be done."

Terry snapped open a batarang...Masque whirled and hurled a small yin-yang disk at him. It exploded into a cloud of black and white gas that choked Terry's breathing. Masque walked over and kicked him in the stomach and gripped him in the throat, putting one gun away so he could. He pushed the barrel of his gun to Terry's head. "And even though you know that it has to be done you fight it and try to escape your base instinct, the instinct all humans have. The Kill. The Destroy. The Crush. The Dominate" Masque leaned close to Terry's ear. "Deep down, you're a killer too," he whispered.

Terry shouted out in anger and shoved Masque away. The man stumbled back and tripped on a velvet rope knocked over in the shooting. He flipped back to his feet with both guns out.

"Now that was just plain RUDE YOU HYPOCRITE!" he aimed. Chris appeared at the door. "Or why go for the KILL when I can go for the HURT?" he fired at Chris and Robin fell. "Gotta run" Masque added as Terry ran towards the fallen boy.

"Terry what's happened to him?" Selina exclaimed.

The blood was on Terry's hand. "Shot" he said. "I—I—I can't see where—where the bloods coming from" Terry gasped frantically. His father. Erika. Catwoman. His father. Chris? Chris now?

TBC

Chris is shot. Terry blames himself. Masque got away but without the sword. Iola will be entertaining a gathering of the rich and powerful. And Veronica's all set for a date with Terry.

Okay and Terry's the Tomorrow Knight, so what does that make Chris? Any suggestions?


	3. Sorrow Joy

Batman Beyond: FACE OFF 3

Joy / Sorrow

"Terry it was a flesh w-oww! Wound" Chris said as Selina finished bandaging him up. "No need to get upset about it, I wasn't hurt that –oww – bad".

He was sitting on the medical bed of the Bat Cave. Bruce had his fingers tented as he read something off the screen. "Masque shot you" Terry said. "Because of me!"

"Oh yeah, Terry, seriously" Chris snorted.

"Sorry to burst the bubble darling" Selina said to Terry. "But you're not the centre of the world. He shot Chris a) to clear an escape route, b) to busy you and c) to hurt you not because of you".

"I can't keep anyone alive" Terry said.

"I can feel the self-blaming" Chris said. "Better then anyone naturally, but it's not your fault I got shot. It was just the timing." He pulled the rest of his suit back up. "So work through it Terry, don't blame yourself when things to wrong"

Terry looked at Chris. Then he left the cave.

"It's not fair!" wailed Masque, sobbing into his sleeve, he snapped up, grabbed a random object and threw it against the wall with a roar. Then returned to crying. "Why can't things go my way? I mean the 2nd National Bank, the 22nd Bank, the Bank on 22nd street, the theft on the QE 2? They went nice...WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE GONE RIGHT WHEN I WANTED TO GET A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD" he hurled a chair at the wall, Wright and Wrong ducked just in time. Naughty and Nice scampered to their boss' sides.

"Oh poor baby, does pudding want something to eat?" Nice purred.

"That's it angry, tear into things you horrid man" Naught growled.

"You're the most beautiful, handsome, gentle, caring and kind man" Nice said. "Ignore her. You're an Adonis god on earth of perfection that's pure and true."

"Screw the prissy missy" Naughty said. "You're a vile, destructive grotesque brute of death and destruction. You're a vicious, cruel, twisted sadist with no heart or soul!"

Nice sauntered ahead to a lace-trimmed table on her side of the Warehouse. There was a vase of white roses and blossoms in a pristine vase with a smile she gripped the silver dome covering the food.

Naughty sashayed to the sharp angled black covered table with the thorny briars in a blackened pot set on it. She picked the handle of the service up and the pair pulled them away.

"I've made your favourite" Naughty said. "Garlic covered Donkey Meat for appetizers, main course of bloody rare steak with vinegar and wine marinade and for desert sinfully dark chocolate cake with a double cognac hit and moonshine spiked chocolate sauce".

"She doesn't know you like I do" Nice said. "For appetizers I have light caser salad with white wine dressing, the main course is basted pheasant and tiny truffles with quail egg flowers. And for desert, angel cake with a light and a fluffy meringue arrangement and whipped cream and strawberries".

They each offered him a glass. Red Wine from Naughty and White Wine from Nice. Masque grinned both happily and ravenously at the two tables. Then sighed. "I can't eat the BAT is on my brains! I need to feel his BLOOD POURING OUT of an open wound on his THROAT," he snarled. "Yes I need it to be in a nice and witty manner."

"Honey, you can't always have it both ways," a voice said. He whirled around as Naughty and Nice darted off onto their respective sides, vanishing in between the pillars close to the walls. Wright and Wrong moved towards the figure. She was dressed in a sequined bow tie, top hat, mask and short coat with tails. Her blouse was white silk and she had fishnets on under her thigh high leather boots with large silver buckles. "Or can you? Might I just say I love the place! It's Modern meets Retro!"

Wright and Wrong pulled double bladed short swords from their suits. The visitor rolled her eyes and raised both opera-gloved hands. There were small diamons on silver strings wired around her fingers to stay on her palms. "Really darling! I'm here to help you" the electric blasts leapt from the gems and knocked Wright and Wrong off their feet into moaning piles on the floor.

"How'd you get here?"

"Easy honey" she replied. "I caught one of your Desperado's leaving the museum, he told me. He didn't have a choice" she added. "I'm Iola by the way, magician by trade and future ruler of the world!" She smiled. "So, how about a coupling? I could use man of your abilities and--- dimensions--- to crush the city..."

"What if I decide to say NO?" Masque snarled.

"Well you're not exactly at a huge advantage against me here? I'm the one who can throw lightening bolts" sniffed Iola.

There was a click from either side of her head and she looked around to find Naughty and Nice on either side of her. Nice held a silver pistol with a pearl studded handle, Naughty was in possession of a huge black metal one.

"Could you repeat that you DOZY BINT! ?" snarled Masque pulling his two pistols out and pointing them at Iola. The woman sighed in resignation.

"Okay fine! You can shoot me...but you'd be missing out on a chance to turn the Bat into a babbling heap of traumatized broken dreams" she said. Masque lowered his guns and cocked his head to one side.

"Speak on" he said. "BEFORE I GET IMPATIENT"

With a smile Iola held out a small circular mirror. "The Bat and the Boy are not as flawless as they seem. They have strength by being joined together, but if they begin to feel like they're no longer able to trust not only each other but themselves...they will do themselves in!"

"And how can you do that?" asked Masque.

"Well darling" she said. "I got past your goons downstairs, brainwashed one too and bypassed that charming security of yours...might I just say the décor is fab. So - " she stepped more onto the Dark Side. "Dark and gloomy" – she hopped closer so Nice. "Yet so bright and chipper". She skipped to Naughty-Land. "Twisted and cruel with a hint of dominative" she jumped to Nice-Land. "Yet so wholesome and gentle with a pinch of submissive". She hopped back and forth. "You and You through and through!" She held up the mirror. An image appeared in it and Masque snarled, recoiling and raising his arms.

"Bitch" he snarled.

"Not that much of one...my mirror is an illusion caster and I have a lot more tricks... all we need to do is get enough money to put a grand plan into action that will leave us both the only non-vegetative beings in the world, the only ones with free wills."

She removed her hat and held it out, a Soundbyte appeared, she handed Masque a blue visor and put a pair on herself. "Now, watch this" she pressed a panel in the brim and the Soundbyte began playing. Wright and Wrong watched hypnotically as did Naughty and Nice. Then all four collapsed into a deep sleep.

"Subliminal messaging, impossible to fight and thanks to me just as hard to detect, if we can broadcast this we can make the people of the world do anything!" she cackled.

"I'm interested...what do you need?" Masque asked.

"Money, lots if money – because I'm going to give a small trial run. Now we need to get some magician's equipment so we can rob the millionaires I'll be performing for on Saturday Evening...are you interested?"

"Definitely" Masque said.

"So...Rocky XXII" Veronica said. "Do you like Sylvester Stallone movies?"

"I guess" admitted Terry as he bough the tickets. "He doesn't act well but---y'know"

"Not really" admitted Veronica. She grabbed and paid for some popcorn.

They entered the screen and found their seats.

Chris shot down the streets in the Redbird. "Well, good news: Terry has a girlfriend and he starts college with a fresh outlook" he swerved and shot down an alley. "Bad news: This means I will be patrolling alone a lot because no girl would go out with a metahuman freak like me"

"Oh you're only half metahuman" sniffed Selina. "Stop complaining."

"Two-fourths, one from father, one from mother and that is that," Chris said. "And scarred all over of course, can't forget that."

"It's a matter of perspective," Bruce said gruffly.

"Well pretty much everyone expects you to be beautiful" Chris said. "Especially someone like me, how can I be a millionaires son with nothing going for him in the looks department?"

"You're over acting again dear," Selina said.

"Granddame I know what I'm talking about" Chris sighed. "I have blue skin in places on my body and post people get upset when I can induce feelings and emotions on them."

"Do you induce the upset?"

"No"

"Ah, I see" nodded Selina.

Chris slowed down, the bike was purring as he stopped at a corner. "But my mutation does have some good points" he admitted. The woman shrieked as the man moved closer...and then he stopped and gripped his nose as blood came gushing out of it. He collapsed to the ground and the woman ran. She spotted the bike and touched her chest. The red glass slid up over the bikes cockpit and Robin shot off.

"You're very good at that" Bruce commented.

"I was an Agent of Anarchy" Chris said. "You sound surprised."

Veronica squinted at the screen. "What's that?" she asked. There was a shadow behind the screen. Terry peered at the shadow...it was familiar...

"Oh no" he whispered. The doubled bladed long sword stabbed through the cinema screen and cut out a perfect human shape. Masque stepped through, dressed in a black suit and white pinstripes with vice-versa on the left side.

"Damn it!" he sighed. "I could have sworn this was the way to the SNACK STAND"

A woman stepped out behind him, she was dressed in a turquoise bodysuit with flared legs decorated with a cloud-like pattern of dark blue sequins across it. She wore sequins in her hair and was carrying a wand. Her mask was dark blue sequins and her heels clicked briskly.

"If I could have your attention," she said. Her want clicked nastily and slid a portion away to reveal a blue-and-black light that flared up. "Thanks". Everyone staggered in place, unable to move and completely dazed.

Iola looked at the Desperado's. "Go...Loot" she pressed. They spread out taking purses, wallets and handbags. One of them reached for Veronica's. A small redwing cracked into his hand and he recoiled in pain. Robin swung out of the darkness.

"I have to say, that is not your colour"

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Day asked as he raised his throwing sun.

"Fashion police, powder blue with a cloud pattern? I'm doing you a favour" Chris smirked. He flipped over a Desperado and spin kicked another into the aisles. Iola sighed and pointed her wand at him as he furiously punched Night into a pillar and back-kicked Day into three others.

"Boy Wonder" she called. He turned around and the light blasted him in the eyes, he blinked for a minute and then frowned.

"So did I pass the retinal exam?" Iola looked from him to her want.

"He's...he's immune to my brain daze!" she exclaimed.

"Leave him to me" Masque snorted. He hurled the two small buzz saw shapes with the yin-yang on them at Chris. The Future Wonder flipped sharply to avoid them... but one sliced across his hip and the other cut his shoulder. He crashed down in pain. Masque raised his sword and advanced.

Chris kicked him in the knee and hit his image projector. The blast of light dazzled him off his feet and let Chris get to his feet.

"Oh I sooooo NEED to KILL you, you annoying VERMIN SCUM!" snarled Masque. Just then the doors exploded open with GCPD officers brandishing their weapons. Iola cackled and pointed her wand. The blast of light burst from the tip, she drew them in a circle and a brick wall appeared, the Desperado's retreated onto the stage, firing at the GCPD, the people ducking into the aisles, screaming.

The brick wall spread out and the firing ceased.

"What the hell" the officer muttered. Chris looked to Terry who was helping Veronica up. Then Chris vanished into the scenery.

"Well I can safely say that, that was the most interesting date I've ever been on" Veronica said as Terry walked her up to the door to her house in the suburbs.

"My foster parents aren't in" she said. "Would you like coffee?"

Terry bit his lip. "Normally I would" he admitted. "But---I kinda have to get ready for college and work tomorrow and I have to look after my brother...rain check, for after a different date? Another date?"

Veronica smiled. "Definitely...what works for you?"

"Uhh – well the movies are jinxed, what with madmen and sequined psychos busting through them so...would you like to play it by ear?" Terry asked sheepishly.

"I'm usually free Thursday" she consented as she stepped inside her door. She paused, grabbed his collar, pulled him into a swift kiss and left him to stew as she shut the door. Terry blinked for a moment.

"Thursday it is then" he mumbled.

Masque grabbed the chair and began to bash it repetitively off a raised beam on the roof. Finally he let out a breath and began to hum a single note. He turned to look at Iola. She was seated on the roof of his warehouse.

"Masque. Darling" she said steadily. "Do you have to react so? We got away with petty cash and Right and Wrong grabbed the 22 copies of Rocky including the original first one. It'll go nicely towards my show tomorrow night."

"BUT-I-HATE-THE-BAT-AND-THE-BOY" snarled Masque. "They're sooo boring" he added in a strangely calmer voice. "Darting about being upstanding citizens..."

"Well...don't worry your masked little head about that" Iola said. "I have plans, big plans..." she smiled. "Tomorrow I'll be performing at that big dinner...we'll have a lot of fun when I get certain information from certain persons...and then we start Operation Demon Eye..."

"And WHAT, pray tell, is that?" smirked Masque as Naughty and Nice each offered him a drink (Sangria and Vodka Martini respectively).

Iola raised the holograph projector. "Look and see darling" she purred.

Chris dabbed at his injuries. "Oh yeah, I'm a blade magnet" he muttered. "Just a big sign on the back of my head...Slice Me Please" he grated. "Insert blades here"

Selina sighed and swivelled her chair to look at Terry descending the steps. "Good date?" she asked. "Oh—wait, stupid question, you were at that movie".

"Yeah but I'll be seeing her again" Terry grinned.

"Be careful" Bruce said. "Reporters can get too close..."

"I won't say Vicki Vale" Selina said. "Oh look at me Bruce I can hold a camera correctly but run screaming from a single, lame-o thug and I can't even pull myself up off a ledge on a church" her voice was squeaky and vapid.

"Let's not start this Selina" Bruce said. "Terry, just remember that certain women like to – oh – run you off the road into a river"

"It's what any repectable Catwoman would have done" Selina said smoothly. "When she caught her then, boyfriend canoodling –did I just say that – with his ex!"

Terry and Chris looked at each other and sidled out of the room.

"Well who was it that though a police officer was a good "addition" to her little black book?" Bruce grunted. Selina raised an eyebrow. "AND he was a psychotic machete wielding nutcase with a sack full of skulls"

"Two words" Selina said smoothly. "Talia and Head!"

"She was an Al Ghoul when I was seeing her!"

"She should have been Talia Silicon its what her head was made out of mostly anyway!" Selina snipped. "And which one of us made the boo-boo of dating his shrink and LETTING her find out his identity...oh-oh! I think It Was YOU"

"I just came by to see if the tux needed a clean before that dinner tomorrow at the Ritz" said Terry as they walked towards the rooms in the West Wing. "They have a magician performing and it might be fun."

"Hope it goes well" Chris said.

"Aren't you coming?" Terry said, stopping.

"I can't" Chris said. "Someone has to patrol"

"That's not the reason" Terry said flatly. "Spill dude".

Chris drew in a deep breath. "I don't want to go somewhere that I can make Mr Wayne any more ashamed of me as his Grandson, the last time he openly admitted relation to me was Christmas...seriously!"

"He's no good with emmotion" shrugged Terry. "Give him time."

Chris shrugged. "He doesn't want me as a child, he's ashamed of me and to be honest who would blame him? I'm a partially blue freak of nature."

"Ms Kyle has weird cat agility, so did her daughter, and your father was half two-face I don't get why you think that's a problem with him? He still likes Ms Kyle?"

Chris shook his head. "But I'm not the same" he said. "I'm all of them...I have so little normality about me...how can I be the Grandson he wants?"

Terry watched Chris walk away and felt really, really, really bad.

TBC:

Next chapter: Terry's faced with a major dilemma...what will he study in college! ?

Oh and Masque and Iola put plan Demon Eyes into Action with a series of embarrassingly easy-performed crimes against the city. Oh my.


	4. Gentle Brutal

FACE-OFF 4

I think Sonar tried to flame me...emphasis on tried...let's laugh at him. I know I did.

**Chapter 4: Gentle / Brutal**

"I've got to get a better job," Mel muttered as she walked towards her apartment. Someone grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

"Hey pretty lady...nice purse you've got there"

"Hmm considering I got my pay check today you must want to go out and buy... gum?" she sniffed. "Or splurge and buy a mouth lozenge."

That caught him off guard. Mel slammed a foot onto his toes, an elbow into his gut and shoved his hand away. She whirled and kicked him in the face. He crashed backwards. She sighed, dusted herself off and entered her apartment.

* * *

Chris sped down the road on the bike. It was a racer; Selina had bought it for him, saying it was her catching up on about 16 years of nothing. Chris appreciated it. It gave him speed to numb the pain.

Masque flipped the coin. "Heads it goes to our pockets, tails to our conscience"

"I love it when he gives to charity" Nice sighed dreamily

"I need a new fur coat," snorted Naughty. The coin landed in Masque's palm.

"Okay girls, get the OVERSIZED novelty cheques its charity time"

Iola leaned over to Right on her left. "Does he always do this?"

"Yup" Wrong replied. "Where our cash goes depends on the coin. It makes all the Yes-or-no decisions for us. Really narrows down our movie choices too."

"I see..." murmured Iola.

Masque swivelled abruptly. "Okay, so what's next Illusion-chick?"

"I need money, parts for my plan aren't cheap and I'll have the richest members of Gotham queuing up for my shows" Iola said, twirling her wand in her fingers. "SO! We take in a show or three, and whatever the audience is carrying and then hit the city with my plan!"

She raised her pendant. "This little baby means I'll be the hottest show on the circuit!" she grinned darkly.

"Sounds like you have a plan" Masque said as he flipped his coin. "And we'll follow it" he added as he glanced at the coin nestled in his palm. "But we'll handle the bat and the bird this time round!"

Iola sighed. "No fun but whatever"

* * *

"Hello?"

Terry swallowed carefully. "H-hey Veronica it's Terry-me-yeah-Terry" he said. "Listen I was just calling to see if you'd like to come to a thing with me, Ms Kyle and Mr Wayne" he said. "It's just a show with the – eh – investors and then Mr Wayne has to go to a kind of... meeting but he has an extra seat thing-place..."

"Okay Terry" Veronica smiled on the other end of the line. He sounded nervous or something. "Sounds great...where should I meet you?"

"At Wayne Manor" said Terry. "Listen I have to go..."

"Yeah Okay. See you! I'm actually finishing up at the office. When's it on anyway?"

"9:00 tomorrow night?"

"Ugh! I'll have to get a dress but I'll make it. Bye"

Terry put the phone down and looked at Chris. They were balancing buckets of bright blue dye on their heads as they continued Tai Chi. Selina watched on. "See I told you I could ask her out and do this at the same time."

"Nice" Selina said. "You did exactly what I wanted you to do..."

Terry slapped his forehead. "I can't believe I fell for that!" he groaned.

"Yes but you slapped your forehead and didn't drop the bucket" Chris said. "Kudos to you man". Chris flashed a grin and raised a leg slowly, moving in a spot. "You can invite Max if you want, I don't need to go."

"Chris" warned Selina. "You need to go. It's important that you do"

"Why?"

"Because I'd like it," Selina said.

Chris remained silent.

* * *

The benefit was held in a large, glass-roofed performance hall and the golden decorations were lit up as the band played a jazzy number. Veronica was dressed in a sea-blue dress and had her arm looped around Terry's.

"Don't rush them," Chris said. "Terry does things in his own time. He'll progress in this relationship at his own speed...don't try to make him move."

"He needs to do a carpe diem" said Selina simply, hugging her faux-fur wrap closer. "If he doesn't act now... then life will pass him by"

"Like it did with Erika?"

Selina looked at Bruce silently as they walked on towards the doors that led to the stage. Once they were seated, with Terry and Veronica close together and Chris distanced even though he was near the middle of the row, the show began.

In a flash of smoke and sparks Iola appeared. She was dressed in a tuxedo with spandex leggings and ridiculously high heels. "Welcome. I am your hostess IOLA THE INCREDIBLE!"

* * *

Masque moved to the reception desk. Two security guards had met their end at his pistols earlier at the toss of a coin. He flipped it as he approached the woman hunched over her work. He glanced at the face and raised the weapon... he pulled the trigger and the gas blasted her in the face. She fell asleep with a soft snore.

"Luck of the draw" he mused as he snapped his fingers. The gang headed for the elevators.

* * *

Terry and Chris watched as the Tiger was transformed in the raised cage with just the wave of a cloth into a small yapping dog. Applause filled the air until the doors burst in. The gunfire filled the air and screams rose.

Masque. His gang. Jewels grabbed. The lights over the stage swivelled and the coloured lights blasted down. Everyone froze mid movement. Masque and his gang finished the sweep and gathered the bags. Naughty gave a cackle as she walked towards a woman in a long white dress.

"Andromeda" she smirked as she reached for a diamond necklace around the models neck. Masques hand shot out and grabbed her wrist applying some pressure. "Hey Boss!" yelped Naughty.

"L-let's go" Masque said, staring at his hand as it released.

Chris felt like his brain was about to explode. His eyelids fluttered and the eyes rolled back a little as he fought past the mental inhibitor signal. He spotted the gang leaving and grabbed Terry's wrist. Digging a foot into Terry's toes Robin awoke Batman.

"Masque" he said.

* * *

Iola walked back stage and pulled the lever down as the smoke billowed onto stage to mask her re-entry and make it seem she'd never left during the show. She glanced at the screen marking the Desperado's trail. Then she walked back onto stage appearing distressed.

* * *

The Redbird sped down alongside the Batmobile. "There he is" Chris said as Masque and his gang leapt into an old corrugated metal shed over a platform on an abandoned monorail line.

"Watch yourself" Terry said.

"Well no one else has the time," muttered Chris. "Wait!"

Terry was approaching the wall of the shed on wing when it burst open, a monorail train speeding towards him. Terry flew upwards but his legs were hit knocking him into a spin that crashed him onto the train. Chris landed on the back, making his way towards him.

Terry moved towards hatch over the controllers cabin. The hatch popped open and Naughty and Nice arose.

"HEYYYYY" the chirped and fired the twin blasters. The concussion blasted Terry backwards down the train. Chris fired a cord, it whipped around Terry's waist and he pulled him down to the back car.

"It's never that easy" Chris sighed.

"You're a quick learner," Terry said as they dug their climbing talons into the roof and pulled themselves along.

* * *

Inside the drivers cabin Masque looked at Night and Day. "What are you two waiting for?" he snapped. The pair nodded and rushed down the cars. They burst up through a hatch and opened fire in all directions. Terry shoved Chris to one side and they rolled down off the roof, Terry dug his talons into the side of the train as Chris did the same. Terry and Chris swung inwards and kicked out the glass of the monorail. Night and Day dropped back as they heard the shattering glass.

"Hey!" Chris said cheerily as he punched Night into a seat. Terry hurled a batarang at Day, knocking the gun from his hands then leaping into a high kick.

In the cabin Masque looked at the screen and groaned. "Ugh! These men NEED TO TAKE a vacation" he growled. He grabbed a weapon from his case and snapped his fingers. Right and Wrong, Black and White and Sun and Moon followed him out, they moved ahead...a pair to each car and Naughty and Nice setting up in the front.

Terry and Chris darted towards the next car. Right and Wrong opened fire. They were at a cannon with two barrels set on a tripod in the doorway of the car. Chris ducked in behind a seat and Terry dodged back behind the doorframe.

"Okay this is unfair!" Chris shouted.

"Chris! Remember those tricks Ms Kyle taught us? The one she called Smog Bank?"

"Oh yeah!" Chris said. "Just don't step on my toes this time"

"On three!" terry shouted pulling the orb from his belt. "1-2-3!"

The smoke bombs exploded as Chris and Terry tossed them in. Staying low they swiftly moved towards the pair, the lenses of their masks piercing the dense smoke bank. Right and Wrong were adjusting the direction of their guns trying to pick a place to fire.

Chris and Terry moved with identical grace. They hook kicked the men in the side of the head and then continued the spin to drop a leg on the backs of their heads and then finish off with twin blade kicks to the pairs stomachs.

"Two down" Terry said

"Who knows how many more to go" sniffed Chris. The next car had Black and White waiting. Black attacked brandishing a pearl handled cutlass and White was swinging a black ebony rod. Masque appeared in the doorway holding a Tommy gun with glowing blue orbs in it. A blast fired at them as they both knocked aside Black and White. It was a concussion bolt and blew the pair apart, smashing them off the walls.

"Hurry, hurry, HURRY!" roared Masque as Black and white lunged again. Chris grabbed the approaching Black's lapels, placed a foot on the man's stomach and judo tossed him over into Masque. Terry was fast when White swung his staff. He caught it under his arm and spun, swinging White off balance. He slid down the staff and rammed a palm into White's gut bouncing the man off a wall.

"Get back here!" Terry shouted as he raced after Masque. A double bladed dagger hit the wall as Masque hurled it at him. Terry touched his cheek, the material was slit but the circuitry and flesh were fine.

Sun and Moon attacked with their chained flails and clubs. "Hey since we're trying out Granddames moves..." He pointed upwards and wiggled the fingers of his other hand.

"Spider?" terry mouthed.

Chris grinned and launched upwards as Terry hurled a batarang at the pair. Sun swung the mace and knocked it away. Too late he looked up as the small disk Chris dropped exploded into a net. He shouted out as Terry long kicked him in the face.

Moon swung the flail at Chris who dropped seconds before the spiked weight crashed into the roof. He hurled the net-disk at Moon and as the man was dragged down by the mesh Terry punched him out.

Masque pressed the buttons on the large orb painted half black and half white. Naughty and Nice opened fire nearby; the bat and bird were close. He rose and snapped his fingers as he caught the coin from its flip. "Okay girls LET'S PLAY" he snarled.

Batman and Robin leapt through the door, knocking Naughty and Nice aside. Batman swung a punch at Masque as his other hand karate chopped the gun from the villain's hands. Masque slammed an elbow across his face and spun his body down low; his kick came spinning heavily at an angle, high at Terry's face.

"Hey I saw that movie to," Chris said as he kicked Masque in the back of his knee. "You were the villain in Adam Heat so you do do all your own stunts!"

"Yeah!" Masque said. "So PREPARE FOR A HEADACHE won't you?"

He slammed a palm into Chris's face. The boy stumbled back, blocked the next punch and kicked him off balance. Masque grabbed the lithe boys arm and judo tossed him. Terry landed two perfect kicks on Masque. Naughty and Nice tackled Chris from one side and grounded him.

Masque landed a series of kicks but Terry caught him with a flip-kick and then a spinning karate chop. "Girls!" Masque shouted as he head butted Terry and shoved him off balance to land on top of Chris. "Let's GOGOGO!" they darted out the door and it sealed with a hiss

"I just learned manicures can be dangerous," Chris said as he dabbed the cuts on his face. "Don't worry my suit did a tox-screen. I'm in the clear but..." he winced. "Damn it stings"

"That's going to sting more" Terry said. The bomb had begun its countdown. Chris rushed to it as Terry set a bomb on the door. When it exploded there was not a sign of trouble. The rest of the monorail detached. Masque waved from the door of the other car. Terry gritted his teeth.

"It's a mess" Chris exclaimed, removing the covering of the bomb and staring in disbelief at the nest of coloured wires. "He really is a psycho!"

"We can't get out," Terry said.

Chris shot to his feet. "Eh... just a thought but...didn't they shut this line down because it was broken?" terry froze...the Cyber Terrorist Group had attacked and blow out this line...

"We're screwed, the bomb PLUS this car crashing into the East End...well it's not good"

"I know," murmured Terry.

Chris closed his eyes and shook his head. "We're dead meat" he murmured.

"Terry? Chris?" Bruce's voice came over the intercom. "What's happened?"

"We're stuck on a-"

"Monorail headed for a broken bridge with a bomb onboard, we know" Bruce said. "Masque hacked the TV station and made a statement...we're working on getting to you but the police cruisers are too big to get close."

* * *

In a café Mel stared at the screen, she put the tray down and moved into the back room, her hands shaking. "---At this time but we believe that the cruisers have attempted to get close, sadly even the fastest are too big to get near enough to the sealed doors that have a lock on the outside, the apparent reversed doors are blast proof..."

* * *

"Well that was nice" Chris said as he watched another cruiser pull away after a failed attempt. "We're damned" he sighed. Terry nodded. "No" Chris said. "It's not your fault that I'm here. I made the choice to be Robin. I can sense the regret"

"I--- you're just the third to die because of me" whispered Terry.

"I ought to whack you," growled Chris.

Terry looked at Chris then stared past him. "What the---MEL?"

A woman in black and white was riding the playing card. As she closed in with great speed she waved at them and dropped back to the door. She pulled the lock. "I heard you boys were stuck," she said.

Chris glanced at the bomb. "Yeah you could say that"

"Well let's go" Mel said. Carrying the bomb between them Chris and Terry jetted out of the train car. They latched two cylinders onto the bomb the timer approaching 20 seconds.

"AWAY" bellowed Chris as the cylinders ignited and launched into the air. The bomb flew high over the city and exploded in a cloud of blue light.

"Well you boys sure throw a party" Mel said.

"Thank you" Terry said without looking at her.

"Yeah thanks" Chris smiled.

"I owed you one," she said to Batman, then jetted off on her card.

* * *

Veronica watched the explosion then returned to the hologram projector. "I am going to get an interview with Batman" she said decisively.

She returned to the homemade projector and tapped a few keys on the keyboard, choosing the image it would broadcast.

* * *

TBC

Veronica's got a mission...like everyone else so far. Terry still doubts himself and we get scope on Iola's Plan... oh right...dun-dun-dun!

BTW: Check out my site it has links to my superhero RPG officially launched on the 22nd. So far its not really begun but only 2 people have joined so... the RPG is a create-a-hero-send-a-bio type thing. Oh and remember that if you do join send the bio to site e-mail address directly. It's membership but I check regularly so sending the bio as soon as possible is always best...wow I've rambled. Must run.


	5. Poor Rich

FACE OFF5

**Notes: Wow this has been a long time coming. My muses all took holidays and then so did my free time…eesh. Well any thoughts or wishes you have are welcome but if I get a certain request I'll do all I can to avoid the person most likely to deliver my request. Oh and so said person knows "Take this fic Down" counts as a flame in my book. If you ever say that again I say: Bite me.**

**Why yes I did take offence to it…and I've just been ranting:**

**I'll stop and take my medication**

AND NOW THE FIC!

**---Poor / Rich---**

The Batsignal lit up the sky. "That thing is getting a real workout," snorted Chris as they entered the batcave. Terry nodded in silence…his mind elsewhere.

"It's coming from the top of a certain someone's place of employment" Selina said as she tapped the keys and zoomed in on a shape standing beside the odd projector… Veronica. "Kudos to her for building a Bat Hologram Projector"

"I'll go see what's up," said Terry. "This is not a good idea"

"Hurry up and go" sighed Bruce. "That's far too…attractive a sign"

* * *

Terry landed on the roof of the news building and looked around. Veronica was standing on the side of the roof. She walked forwards. "Glad you could make it" she said. "Shall we get started?"

"Started on what exactly?"

"The interview"

"Did I say I'd give an interview?"

"I'd be ever so – grateful," she pressed removing her coat to reveal a pink ribbon-strap top that drifted just above her navel. "We can be very friendly…the media I mean" she said. "That's – if you … rub us up the right way"

Terry raised an eyebrow. "Ms Dominium…please...Don't sell yourself off"

"I'm not," she said. "You're a man" she sighed. "Unless - - - you do like girls right?" Terry raised his eyebrows and she shrugged. "What? It's a legitimate question to ask" she sighed. "Look I can help you. I've pulled files on the accident that scarred Wade Masters. The chemicals were synthetic materials to be used in cosmetic surgery but they were too unstable to be improved. No one knows what he looks like, he killed his surgeons in a fit of rage and donned a mask."

"I know"

"Did you know he donated half his spoils to assorted Charities?"

"I didn't know that," admitted Terry

"See? We could make beautiful music together," she said, moving closer. Terry stepped backwards and dropped off the building, vanishing into the dark. Veronica sighed. "What a man" she murmured.

**----The Next Day----**

The black and white truck smashed through the doors of the Gold Exchange. It was an old building that was currently home to the US Mint and their project to trade in precious ores with other countries. It had been the Gold exchange long ago; now precious metals of any kind fit the bill.

Iola popped out of the sunroof on the van, she was wearing heavy black goggles. "If I could have your attention for a moment" she said as she held up the ornate hand mirror. It glowed and with a flash mentally stunned everyone around. "Ah it's all done with mirrors" she giggled and swung out of the van.

The thugs spread out. A batarang hit Wrong in the side of the head and he collapsed with a thud. "I don't know" Chris said as he became visible. "What does it take to deter you from making us kick you butts?"

"I don't know maybe you ACTUALLY KICKING our respective BUTTS" Masque cackled as he pulled out his guns. His thugs aimed at Chris and fired. He leapt away as a cloud of smoke exploded from a small orb he'd thrown down. The smoke filled the room. Terry dropped down on the van and kicked Masque in the back of the head. Masque ran a hand through his black and white hair…then twisted and bashed Terry in the face with an open palm. He grabbed Terry by the neck and flung him off the van.

"I swear he SOOOOOOOOO needs a vacation," Masque giggled as he aimed his pistols and fired. Terry rolled away and used his rocket boots to get into the air. Iola raised her wand.

"Not so fast!" Chris hit her with a Redwing causing her to drop the wand. She shrieked in rage and hurled the small mirror to the ground. It unleashed a blast of electricity and hurled Chris away.

"We've got some stuff boss!" a thug said.

"Take what we can" Masque muttered. "AND STICK IN THE VIOLENCE!" he fired point blank into a crowd and a man collapsed, clutching his leg. Terry froze, staring… Chris groaned and collected his thoughts. The van shrieked backwards out of the Exchange and sped away.

"Terry what's wrong?" Selina asked.

"I – I – I" Terry shook his head and rubbed his face.

* * *

Iola huffed. "Well that was disappointing…oh hang on" the van stopped and she climbed out, removing her top hat. The driver of the armoured car watched her wearily as his partner checked his weapon and raised it. Iola bowed and pulled the long star-patterned blue material from her hat. She threw it into the air…it burst open and slowly descended.

"Hocus Pocus Kalamazoo" she smiled. "I've just made a fool…out of you!" the burst of smoke came from under the material, which in turn disappeared into a cloud of blue butterflies. The smoke exploded from her hat before the guard could fire, the driver was sitting on the ground, stunned until the terrible stink of the smoke startled him to his senses. The Truck was gone…and so was Iola.

"Not a total loss" Iola said. "No setback to our plans"

"Goodie" snorted Masque. "Because I really TRULY care about your PATHETIC need to stick to schedule." Iola rolled her eyes as he stirred his tea and drank his coffee with Naughty and nice dancing attendance on either side of him.

* * *

Veronica ran her hands down the red dress she was wearing. It wasn't very often you got to be on the arm of a highly attractive college student-gofer to a millionaire and said millionaires girlfriend. And there was the matter of the Grandson but that was messy.

Chris unnerved her. He had the same eyes as Mr Wayne but he seemed to be looking through her façade to her core. That wasn't good. She was a serious (intern) reporter with ambition…she didn't like being read.

"So dear" Selina said as the elevator neared the party. "You want to be a reporter?"

"Yes ma'am" Veronica said. The woman seemed ferociously protected of both boys and her bad side didn't seem like a fun side to be on. "I've been accepted into a Journalism course in three colleges…I don't know which to choose."

"Best choose soon" smiled Selina. "Or it'll pass you by. College starts in a few weeks and all final applications must be filled out".

"Unless you go to school in Californian Institutes of Dance," murmured Terry. He'd never really gotten over Dana. He'd been a little relieved when she'd left for California she always reminded him of Erika.

Before Veronica could ask more the doors opened and they entered the party. On stage the Incredible Iola was wearing a flowing purple gown and making tigers turn into kittens. The circular stage was set up in the middle of the room where everyone could see her. Two tall men with long pale blonde hair and blue eyes were showing a Siberian Tiger to the crowd. Three women in silver and gold showgirl outfits and feathered headdresses were prompting the crowd to cheer and clap on stage. A man in a velvet top hat and silver cape was doing card tricks for a few people at the bar. They were her ensembles apparently: accessories.

"What a surprise another performance by the latest celebrity fad" Chris said. "If I'd had birthdays when I was young I assure you I'd not have asked for a magician and still outgrown it at this point."

"Dance?" Veronica offered as a dreamy Waltz began. Terry allowed himself to be led out onto the floor by her but he still took the offered lead in the dance. "I got to talk to Batman," she said. A lump developed in terry's throat. He nodded with "interest" and kept a focus on his feet…the collar was still tight on the damn tuxedo. "He's really - - brooding" she said. "I don't know if any non-costumed man will ever be like him. Then again most normal men don't have a strange fixation with bats… but I suppose everyone's fixated with something at some point".

Chris watched the party from a distance. The magician bored him. The snobbish children of the rich and famous who were present at the party were either too dull or engaged in stupidity. And Selina had been pinned down by the town gossip – of course.

Bruce ignored him as usual and he was getting used to it. He was alone, the freaky kid with the radioactive acne and screwed up sense of sight (everything was pale and grey). "Chris isn't it?"

Chris looked at the waitress. Mel. "Yeah. Melanie…right?"

"Terry told you about me?" she murmured, her face falling.

"Just that he wished things could have been different" Chris said. (Terry had never actually said it but he FELT it and WISHED it because he liked Mel as a Friend if nothing Else and not the capitals all mentioned).

"Glad to hear it" she said her heart lifting and raising a smile. "So…why the wallflower act?"

"I'm not the ideal grandson" shrugged Chris as she offered him a canapé, which he accepted. "I'm not handsome enough, sociable enough, strong enough - - - good enough."

"Be yourself" Mel sighed. "He accepted Terry into his life. Give him time, people need to adapt to relatives…screwed up family? Try mine. Most in jail, one was a robot and the other's opening his second Casino in Keystone this evening."

"Why aren't you out there?"

"Working girl. Gotta pay the rent" Mel shrugged. There was a blast of gunfire…the elevators were letting floods of thugs into the ballroom led by the sneering Masque. "I don't believe it," muttered Mel.

Chris looked around. "Quick go hide" Chris whispered as he glanced at Terry who was already slipping the cowl out of the hidden pocket it was sewn into in his coat the coat hid the costume between the lining and the outer material.

Chris touched his own pocket and let the screaming crowds take him.

Iola was fiddling with her wand. She shot a seething glare at Masque and mouthed, "This – Wasn't -Planned" at him. He flipped her off.

"Ladies and Gentlemen AND I USE THE TERM LOOSELY" Masque snarled. "Please empty your purses, wallets and mattresses into the bags of my lovely assistants NOOOOWWWW OR I'LL BLOW YOU ALL TO HELL if its not too unpleasant." He snapped his fingers. "Pronto, pronto!"

A Batarang hit Day in the head and he staggered away. Masque groaned with dramatic loudness. "YOOOOOOUUUUUUU TWWWWWOOOO AGGAAINNNN" he spat. "Lovely to have you, drinks? What are you having?"

He raised his guns and fired. Terry wired aside and Chris hurled a flash bang at a group of men. Masque's left gun skittered away as Terry jump kicked it, Masque head butted him and shoved him into a table. He aimed his right gun at Terry. "Sorry Bats but this is how THE COOKIE IMPLODES!"

A shot rang out and the gun fell from his hand. He hissed and looked around for the shooter who's not directly injured anything other then his pride. Terry leapt up and punched him. Masque roared and slammed a sledgehammer of both hands down into his face before grabbing him around the throat and slinging him across the dance floor so he could pick up both pistols. The thugs were undecided whether to a) get Batman, b) get Robin or c) get the loot they'd nabbed together.

They opted for C. Masque aimed and fired. The bullet hit the chandelier over Batman. "It's above you!" he called. The light came shooting down on the dazed Terry. Mel lunged at him and tackled him out of the way as the glass exploded on the ground, sending a snow of shards skittering around.

"That's two I owe you" terry muttered.

"No you don't" Mel said.

"They're going to catch us boss" Wrong hissed

"Wrong…Wrong" Masque said. He pressed a button on his white lapel. There was an explosion. "The faces of the Gotham Memorial Statues have all just exploded, knocking their NEW placements on the ledges (courtesy of moi) off balance" he explained. "Did I mention I've tied a civilian to each of the statues which are all now unstable and about to plummet into the streets below with the attached civilians? Better hurry and do something" he cackled as the Dynamic Duo looked at each other and then ran for the window to speed down the street to the memorial building where the large iron statues (each now with a different person tied to the waists) were set high above the streets and roads. Terry leapt into the Batmobile as it shot past while Chris leapt onto his bike.

"We have to stop the statues falling!" Terry said.

"Well D'uh!" Chris snorted. He fired the missile; it exploded into a splatter of grey sticky glue that held one of the four statues in place. Terry fired two cables into another statue and gently lowered it onto the street. The other two statues had been moved with their counterparts just a few critical inches onto a danger teetering position, the explosions now had them grinding towards the end of a small sloped part of the ledge that would end them and the tied hostages crashing to the street.

"I've got this one" Terry said as he snared a hook around the neck of another and lifted it to safety. Chris launched his hook at the statue. The hook split into a bola top and suspended the Statue. Chris slowly pulled the statue back onto the ledge.

"Chris the arm!" Terry exclaimed.

The arm had a small explosive set on it which went off…shrapnel hit the helmet on Chris's head and made his head pound as he fired a spear-cord into the back of the statue. He cried out. There was a flash and the arm fell off course and landed on a nearby ledge with a crash as the statue shove back a few critical inches and let Chris' bike and cord pull it to complete safety.

"Chris?"

"Ter?" Chris was clutching his head and bleeding nose. "I don't feel so good---and what a cliché I have just issued…"

* * *

"He's fine Selina," growled Bruce. Selina slapped him. They were standing in the middle of the cave; Terry, Max and Chris were upstairs with an icepack for Chris' head and a box of Extra Strong Advil and Selina had just slapped him

"You can be such a dog," she hissed. She had just slapped him.

"What does that mean?" he growled. She had just slapped him.

"It means you don't see that the boy feels you don't care. You told him that he should have been paying more attention for heaven's sake! He'd just had a lucky escape from someone dying (and while we're on the subject his bike might have dropped with the damn lump of stone) and you criticize him." She had just slapped him.

"He needs to learn to be careful"

"He NEEDS to know you care!"

"He knows I care"

"No Bruce he doesn't" she turned away. His brain was still stuck on the fact that: she had just slapped him.

* * *

Iola examined the mirror decorated with an eagle spreading its wings into a frame. "What's that?" asked one of her showgirl assistants (Sparkle).

"It's a special device. The Boy Weird must have some sort of protection against my messages, this mirror will hit him with a triple whammy on 19 different levels of consciousness in 0.3 seconds"

"Will it work?" Top Hat asked.

"Ask that question ever again and I'll feed you to Stephano and Dave's blasted Tiger"

"Tinkerbell wouldn't eat him," one of the blonde men said.

"Oh Shut Up" spat Iola as she put the mirror down on the blueprints for her plan.

**TBC**

Review and I won't send Iola around to your house to make you watch subliminal messages and do so. Also what do you think of:

Veronica-Batman-Terry love trouble

Chris Weirdness

Selina-Bruce relationship?


	6. Coming Going

**FACE OFF 6**

**Coming / Going**

The people in the bank were stunned in fear. Iola was pacing as the men loaded the creds into the digital pad from the assorted digital terminals.

"Where are they?" she muttered. "Where the hell are they?"

"They'll be here" smiled Masque. He swivelled his pistols in his hands. "They always arrive to spoil our fund. You just be ready to do what you have to." Iola snorted and shrugged. She held up the mirror…watching and waiting.

The glass shattered as the shapes came through the window. Robin hurled the redwing projectile and removed the gun from the hand of a thug. Batman spun into a kick that sent the nearest man flying off balance into a wall. Robin pulled the Tonfa batons from his hips and swung into a hurricane of moves. Batman attacked Masque. The man in the mask against the man in the mask… Masque caught Terry with an elbow to the jaw and with a laugh he swung his pistol to Terry's head. Batman had already ducked out of the way when he pulled the trigger.

"Fast Batsy!" giggled Masque. "But I'm faster then YOUR DAMN PRETTY FACE" Masque grabbed Terry by the shoulders and slammed both his feet into his stomach, shoving off and flipping through the air.

Iola advanced towards Chris who was smashing side kicks away. She cleared her throat, he whirled and swung at her, she deflected with her wand and kicked him in the chest. He skidded across the hall to crash into Terry. "All right boys" she smiled. "Here's a little something to think about…or not thing about…whatever suits" she held up the mirror, the flash of light shimmered a series of colours in the spectrum and then…Terry leapt to his feet.

"Guess you got seven years of bad luck fromt hat broken mirror"

"Ter" murmured Chris, he fell to his knees clutching his head. "I – I don't – I can't…" the images came rushing at him. The people all over the city crying and shouting and laughing and whispering and hating and loving. Chris cried out in pain… Masque reached for his gun to shoot but the wave of distortion rippled out, the banks patrons fell backwards, thugs were thrown aside as they all faced the force. Terry tried to fight through with his rocket boots. The wave ended abruptly like it had begun.

"That wasn't supposed to happen" Iola murmured as she picked herself up. "Oh well…". Terry cradled the unconscious Chris in his arms, there was blood on his nose, he was shaking and breathing shallow breaths. Masque looked at his men as they raised their weapons…

The glass exploded inwards as the bullets fired through the air shattering the panes of glass as they hit the men working for the villains. Masque ducked low as the energy bolts knocked his men down, stunning most of them or numbing a limb of four. Masque reached for his gun on the tiles nearby…the shot was precise it sent the weapon skttering away.

"We need out now!" roared Masque.

"Done!" Iola said. She waved her wand and smashed the small vial on the ground. The purple smoke filled the air. When it cleared everyone was gone. Terry lifted Chris into his arms.

"What's happened?" Selina was frantic.

"He's out cold" Terry said. "I'm coming back at top speed" he jetted out, the batmobile descending from the grey clouds of the night. He looked down, there was a flicker of white below him as someone with a rifle disappeared down a stairwell.

* * *

-**WAYNE MANOR-**

"He's all right" Selina breathed.

"In a word? Yes" Bruce agreed as Selina brushed the hair out of her grandson's eyes. He was lying there, unconscious for an hour now. Bruce was reading over the notes. "His mutated form means that its hard to get information on his physiology but from what I can tell the subliminal messaging caused a Neuron to trigger a reaction in his brain" the CATT scans appeared on the computer and Bruce pointed to the portion of the blue image highlighted with a strange shade of green-blue. "The brain anomaly that gives him his empathic abilities has morphed, some sort of growing mutation, the goggles he wore seemed to have in a roundabout way stunted his powers, now they're growing without his goggles stunting them and compensating for lost time in the process. The Illusionists illusion mirror hit a nerve."

"Those two crooks have pulled off too many successful robberies," said Selina. "They stun people too fast for the boys to get there on time and when the boys get there… well they end up facing Masque and The Illusionist and having to handle illusions and stun lights" she shook her head. "Thre robberies in the past five nights that have ended in bad news…now this"

"You're worried"

"Of COURSE I am" Selina said. She walked over to Bruce. Her voice lowered to a whisper. "You forget that the boy is going through more then the average teenage kicks, he's a meta, an ex-criminal and a partial amnesiac…why don't you let him know whatever you feel towards him? He needs to know"

"No he doesn't"

"Funny" snorted Selina cynically A/N: Alliteration WOOO!. "You sound like you actually know the boy…"

She turned on her heel and strode away. Bruce just immersed himself in the acidic blood and super immune systems of his grandson's scans…

* * *

Iola adjusted the mirror. "It's perfect" she giggled. Masque rolled his eyes, he was sitting on the bar sipping a blue drink. On either side Naughty and Nice were drinking a Black Russian and a Wine Spritzer respectively.

"What is?" drawled the villain.

"My mirror. I've changed it" she held up the hand mirror with the platinum frame and emeralds in the setting. "Now I can use special mirrors to open up a person's mind so I can see in and poke around using synthetic neuron waves."

"I care REALLY I do" Masque said with a twitch. Naughty and Nice rubbed his jaw and nuzzled up to him. Iola shook her head.

"I can read thoughts…this is more then I hoped for. Tomorrow night we're going to read the minds of one person in particular…a certain mogul…and when I have what I want from him…my little plan will be in action" the gemstone she wore around her neck twinkled wickedly.

* * *

Terry was trudging toward GCU. It was orientation day…he was excited he could admit that. But Veronica had said she didn't believe in going to college, that's why she hadn't, because she'd decided to go for the dream right away.

Terry was happy for her…but they way she'd thrown herself at the costume… he had to wonder…was it what she really wanted? Him? Or was the Bat who she was interested in?

He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey!" Max hurried up to him. "I haven't seen you in weeks! Are you okay?"

"Just drained…" sighed Terry. "Chris was – hurt by Iola"

"Poor kid"

"He's fine, up and about, Selina was trying to get him to go and practice his gymnastics in the gym rather then on the chandelier" Terry said. He flashed a grin. There was a loud crack and the smell of sulphur filled the air. Iola Von Drake released the pigeons from her hat into the air and took a bow, another pigeon fluttered out as she did and the crowd applauded.

Iola's two chorus girl assistants swung a full-length mirror out before her and she stepped behind it. The mirror glowed. There was a flash and Terry felt as if someone was sifting through his brain…then it was over as Iola flipped the mirror in its stand and vanished from behind it to reappear in the crowd.

She bowed and waved to the crowd.

Terry shook his head and Max shrugged.

* * *

Veronica was leaving the building when she saw the Signal. Now, Veronica was the only one with any knowledge of what the hell the password to controls were. She turned and ran back into the building.

* * *

Terry lande don the roof. Expecting to see Veronica in a nighdress with two glasses of champagne. Instead he found Melanie Walker/Castle. She was wearing a black coat and white scarf. "Hi" she said.

Batman couldn't say anything else. Melanie nodded. "I did a little background work with a few old friends in the less then high quality of Gothamites. Apparently Masque's got a big hideout. If you match the psychological profile – you get Warehouse 22-22. It's built between the New Dock and the Old Dock and its got two types of architecture, it faces uptown and downtown and its been rebuilt twice… sound good?"

"Why are you helping?"

"Because I have to make amends" Mel said.

"Really?"

"Because I WANT to make amends," admitted Mel. She watched Batman leap into the night and she allowed herself a wishful sigh. Veronica silently shut the foor on the roof as Mel went back to undo her hacking on the homemade batsignal. The young reporter descended the stairs to get clear of Melanie's exit from the building. She grabbed a camera from a desk and opened a map of the city.

"Warehouse 22-22" she murmured. "Where is it?"

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Positive" Chris said as he and Terry sped through the sky on the Redbird and in the Batmobile. "Max? Reassure him please!"

"The kids fine" Max chirped. "Okay the warehouse is big, a mix of Roman and Gothic Architecture because of the two rebuilds…pretty nice actually. If you're a nutcase with a thing for halving things"

"Lets hope he doesn't get to half us" Terry muttered.

"The doors locked" Robin commented.

"Then let's make our own" the Batmobile rammed the warehouse doors startling the Desperados within the warehouse. Terry and Chris leapt out of their vehicles.

"Okay fellas! Who's up for a break dance?" grinned Chris

* * *

Veronica crept into the Warehouse via the side entrance. Batman and Robin were bating the living daylights out of a gang of the Desperados. Veronica checked her camera and aimed it. "Here we go," she whispered as she crouched behind a crate. Batman hurled a Batarang at the lights, blowing them out. Veronica cursed and adjusted the lens to infrared night vision.

There was a crack and an explosion of black and white light and smoke. Masque pulled a breaker on the staircase and auxiliary power kicked in. The lights turned on. For a moment Masque and Batman simply stared at each other…then it happened. Terry leapt at Wade Masters who laughed and leapt at him. Terry reached out but Masters kicked him down. Chris leapt into a series of kicks…Wade Masters had done his own fight scenes. He caught Chris by the leg and hurled him into a crate.

Naughty and Nice opened fire from the staircase. Chris grunted. "Okay girls, take a powder," he snapped as he tossed the sphere at them, it exploded into a haze of pepper powder. Coughing and gagging the women stumbled about. With a shout Chris leapt up onto the stairway balcony they'd been on and kicked them swiftly in the backs of their necks. They groaned and collapsed.

"Hey batsy! You're not the one that's faster then the speeding bullet are you?" Masque cackled. He swung around and fired at Chris. "Sorry but the boy hostage is a much better target!"

Chris cried out as the bullet slammed through his shoulder.

"NO!" terry exclaimed.

"Wow he sure does get shot a lot" Masque said. He raised his gun to fire at Terry. "Armour piercing you THICK SKULLED DOGOONICK" the shot rang out but it was Wade Masters who hissed in pain, clutching his hand as a bullet took his gun out of his gloved hand. He hissed in pain and darted down a side passage. "You're a killer just like me Batman! You can't save anyone!" and then he was gone

"Are you okay?" the gunman exclaimed. Terry stared. Correction Gun-Woman. Andromeda was standing there with a sniper rifle in her hand.

"Robin!" Batman exclaimed rushing up the stairs. Chris was lying there, hanging onto consciousness like a drowning man, clutching his shoulder. Andromeda opened the white satchel she had slung over her shoulder. "Don't worry" she said. "I've got field medicine training I can treat the bullet wound" she took out the scanner.

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?"

"I met Wade at a shooting range" Andromeda shrugged. "What can I say? We have a good shot in common"

Veronica snapped a few pictures and then crept out. She grinned, this was big! Supermodels! Superheroes! Supervillains! She was in there now!

* * *

Mel tapped the keys on her laptop. "The Illusionist…" she murmured. The GCPD files were well guarded but she could hack them no problem. Opening the file on the woman she found that most of the robberies involved magic tricks. She opened a search window…the crossreferences flickered up as she typed.

"Wait a second!" she exclaimed. She removed her narrow wire rimmed glasses. "They were all used by the late Thaddeus Von Drake…father of Iola von Drake!" she zoomed in on the picture of the Illusionist then the news clippings of Thaddeus von Drake and Iola Von Drake. All three were wearing the same red stone pendant.

"Gotcha!" Mel grinned. She stood up and opened her closet. She pushed the clothing rail forward and there was a click as the back of the closet swung open. Mel stepped inside and took her 10-costume from the wall. She lifted the flying card from its place on the wall and grabbed her deck.

* * *

"What is it?" groaned Masque. "I've just lost my base and I'M A TADDDDDDDD CRANNNNNKYYYY" Naughty and Nice were massaging his temples. They were in Iola's nightclub, the one she'd secretly bought as a basis for her operations. Top Hat was shuffling a deck of cards.

"Well this'll make your day. I tested my mind reading mirror in a special outdoor show at the GCU campus today…guess what I found!" Iola said. She pointed her wand at a mirror. An image of a bat flickered up.

"What!" Wade gasped as he sat up.

"Watch" Iola giggled. The Batman mask…flashes of Catwoman, Zeiss, Inque, Blight… and then the face. "Bruce Wayne's Gofer!" she cackled. "He's Batman, my guess is Bruce Wayne passed on the "mantle" and now the kids got himself a vigilante credit for College Application"

"We HAVE to kill the INSUFFERABLE winged rat" exclaimed Masque. "Well?"

"Tonight. The boys have finished the construction at the Station" Iola looked at Sparkle. "Well?"

"We zapped the TV man" Sparkle said as she and the two other chorus girls sashayed in. She handed over the mirror. "All the pass codes to the doors are drained from his brain."

"Good to hear it" smiled Iola. "When we launch the signals into the TV waves of the planet I'll brainwash every single man, woman and child while the veg out for a TV dinner! I've finally finished building my Subjugator and NOTHING will stop me form turning the masses into mindless puppets!"

"Not even the Bat and Bird" laughed Masque spitefully.

* * *

Veronica was typing out the story in the empty office. The phone was ringing; with a sigh she tapped the button and put it on Speaker. "Hello?"

"Hi! Veronica? It's Terry"

"Hi Terry" she smiled soothingly. "What's up?"

"Well I wanted to know…do you want to join me for dinner tonight?"

"Sure!" Veronica said, leaping at the invite.

"Wayne Manor…say…9:00?"

"Perfect" she said. With a giggle she said goodbye and punched the air. "He likes me!" she chirped. There was a sound behind her. She spun around and stared. Batman was standing there. "Wow" she said. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything. Veronica turned back to her console and tapped the button on the keyboard. Terry's eyes widened as footage from a fight with Catwoman rose up. "Do I have to patch myself up in vinyl to get the attention?"

"You're playing a dangerous game" warned Terry

"Maybe I like danger"

"And if you had the chance to be with me would you take it?"

Veronica was caught off guard by that one. She paused for a moment and then looked him squarely in the eyes. "No" she said. "Maybe I would have before…but there's someone else…someone who – he's the one for me." Terry nodded. Veronica was about to say something but he was gone…vanishing into the shadows of the darkened office.

"Sexy but strange" Veronica muttered. She turned back to the computer…

* * *

Chris was sitting on the medical table. Selina had finished bandaging his shoulder properly. "You're getting shot a lot" she said.

"I hadn't noticed" her grandson replied dryly.

"You should be more careful"

"I am careful, but people vent their angers on Robin! What can I do?"

"Stop being Robin" Bruce said as he descended the steps of the lair.

"WHAT!" Chris was on his feet. "No!"

"You have no choice" Bruce said. He pressed a button on the computer and typed in a code. The Neo-Robin suit's case sealed up. Chris was furious. The medical tray beside Selina rattled as she felt his rage contact her own.

"I want to be Robin! It's MY LIFE!"

"And you'll end it faster if you take up something you aren't ready for!"

"I've been facing danger on the streets since I was 8 years old!" Chris said. "That's longer then any of the Robin's you trained before! I have more experience and skill then they did at my age! ITS NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE"

"yes it is" Bruce said gruffly. "You're no longer Robin"

Chris stormed away. Selina glared at Bruce he turned away from her. "You're pigheaded! As stubborn as he is!" snapped Selina. "Like Grandfather like Grandson"

"It's for his own good!"

Selina shook her head. "Not its for your own good. If you keep pushing him away then you'll push me away as well…think about it this way…what if you'd been told you could never be Batman. Something you needed to be. He's doing penance just like you are Bruce. But unlike you it's not all about him!"

She turned and stormed away.

* * *

Chris entered the now empty bat cave with his bag. He pulled on his helmet and swung himself onto his racing bike. "Where are you going?" Max's voice was in his helmet.

"Away"

"Away where?"

"I heard from Rocco – he's in metropolis…I'll be going there to see him…then who knows?" Chris replied. "I can't stay here"

"Chris…running away won't solve-"

"Blocking the Oracle signals and Batcave wavelengths" Chris said as he tapped a button on his helmet. Max was cut off as Chris revved up and exited on a long winding road.

**TBC**

Chris Gone? Terry In love? Iola Knows? Oh hell…this stories heading for its climax so stick with it please! Getting close to the end everybody!

_Also some stuff mightn't make sense in the next two chapters if you don't know about Fatale Fury my other Batman Beyond fic. It's quite long but complete...kay?_


	7. Think Act

**Batman Beyond: Face Off**

**Think / Act**

**By Fallen Angel Overlord**

**A/N: How long has it been since I updated? GEEEZ!**

Veronica combed out her hair. Terry had invited her for dinner at Wayn Manor. She had to look perfect. She selected a long white dress and simple diamond necklace. This was going to be the perfect evening.

Chris leaned on his bike and stared out across the scene below. He was perched on the cusp of a mountain and staring out at the wide world of Gotham forests. If he kept going the way he was he'd end up in Metropolis. Maybe he could see if Rocco or any of the old Gang were around.

He pulled his helmet back on and revved up to turn down the road and head towards Metropolis.

* * *

Mel combed out her hair. Jack had sent her a letter to say he was hoping she'd come for a visit and she honestly didn't see any reason NOT to. Mel yawned despite herself and pulled on her coat. She was going to have an early night but she had so meet a few girls from work first for drinks. 

As she descended the steps in her apartment building she made a note to tell the supervisor about the 20 reasons the elevator NEEDED to be repaired. Namely the flights of stairs she had to descend which formed 15 of her reasons.

As she walked towards her bike she thought she heard something. When she turned around she saw two women one was a brunette dressed in black leather and the other was a blonde in white lace. The blonde swung a platform soled boot in a kick but Mel ducked and lanced a kick into the woman's chest.

The brunette lunged forwards – right into Mel's punch.

"Hey, girls, enough!"

Mel swung around to kick the person behind her. A hand caught her foot and she realized she was staring into the mask of Masque. "This is his friend…schway" he headbutted her and everything went dark.

Iola the Illusionist looked at her muscled men and sequined women. "Okay boys and girls" she said as she paced about on stage. "Masque's swell and all but – gotta say – getting tired of his up and downs, half the proceeds go to charity for the love of Houdini…so I brain scanned him and – presto!" she held up the mirror. "Andromeda my dears. She's the K-E-Y to pushing him off the deep end."

"How so?" Top Hat asked as he tipped his infamous hat to her.

"Simple, kill her and tell him the bat did it" responded Iola with a grin. "The plan goes off at midnight I want to double check he's on side." She smirked. "We're gonna hit a target tonight and this can't be a breakin' point for the masked man"

Iola trailed her fingers over the hand held mind reading mirror she held. "No hitches" agreed the men and women she'd hired.

* * *

Selena was seething. Bruce had pushed her GRANDSON (and his, Bruce was the Grandfather of that boy!) out the door. It was unforgiveable! Despicable! She paced about as her heels clicked furiously. She was in her old storehouse the "Catacombs" as she'd once jokingly dubbed it. Where her protégé Erica had hidden out. 

Selena was so angry she couldn't concentrate on what she was angry about. She sighed and sat down at the computer in the warehouse. "Right…a good game of solitaire will do me" she hissed.

* * *

Terry was worried about Chris, the broody guy had grown on him, but when there was a knock at the door he pushed his concerns to the back of his head – Veronica was standing at the doorstep, her hair was tied up and her white dress was perfectly crisp. 

Bruce was upstairs resting and had told Terry not to worry about him interrupting. The meal had been prepared by caterers who had gone…it was set out on a trolley and Terry felt the effect would have been better if there had been servants.

He sat down across from Veronica still telling her she looked great.

"Yeah Terry, I get that" she smiled. She opened the tray and looked at the soup. "Herb – lovely my favorite!" she smiled. Terry breathed a sigh of relief. "So – where's everyone else?"

"Oh…Mr Wayne is sleeping – he's exhausted and Chris and Selena are…out" Terry stirred his soup slowly – worried about Chris and Selena. "So how's work?"

"Oh…the usual. I met Batman"

"What did you think of him?" asked Terry slowly.

"Well, still impressive but – I like you better" she laughed. Terry beamed at her and sipped his soup.

* * *

Iola raised her eyebrow at the unconscious Melanie Walker. "What's she for?" they were in the control centre of the project. "Decoration?" 

Masque was being tended to by Naughty and Nice. "Nope, hostage. Just in case I need one" he grinned. "Course if we're lucky we'll nap an even better one tonight…so you wanna get this done? Coz my Chopper is ready and rarin ta go!"

Iola shrugged. She was dressed in a white top hat and coat with black blouse and pinstriped trousers. Her bowtie was dotted with sequins. She sauntered out the door, sharp heels clicked and clacked. "Masque…we have a bat to exterminate" she sighed. "A modicum of decorum please!" As she walked towards the exit she tapped a button on her cane to send a signal to Top Hat and the Assisstants he had taken to Andromeda's apartment

Andromeda sat up in bed. She knew for a fact she heard voices… "Wayne Manor, we get stuck here nabbing a supermodel" a woman's voice hissed.

"Will you two SHUT UP" spat a man.

"Make us" another woman sneered. Andromeda reached into her bedside cabinet and removed an energy pistol. She slid out of bed and slipped on her slippers and white silk robe. The handle of the door turned as she slipped over to the en suite.

"She's not here…check the bathroom" whispered another voice. Andromeda slipped in behind the shower curtain. A girl in fishnets and a coat with tails (lots of purple sequins) entered the bathroom and looked around. She held a magic wand as if it were a sword…she paused and looked in the mirror…

Andromeda karate chopped her in the side of the neck and caught the body, stowing her in the empty bath. "Okay…let's rumble" she whispered. She slipped out of the bathroom. The Other woman was holding a wand and nudging open the closets. Andromeda fired, the woman moved unfortunately but the energy bolt caught her in the arm and staggered her.

"TOP HAT! HERE!" the shrill voice of the woman cut through the night.

The wand fired off a dazzling blast of energy that singed the wall as Andromeda dived and rolled, she fired and the woman slammed backwards into a closet, the doors hissed shut and trapped the unconscious assistant inside.

The man in the top hat wore a long sequined black coat he entered and touched the brim of his had, a thing disk spat out of the red glittering band around the black velvet. It sliced into the wall near Andromeda, scratching her arm.

"You're coming with me missy" the man hissed.

"I beg to differ" Andromeda dived onto her bed, fired and flipped off, kicking Top Hat as he fired his disk again. The blade hissed past under her feet as she collided with him. He fell backwards into the living room. Andromeda's gun skittered away, she grabbed at him but he punched her aside. She caught his leg as he tried to stamp on her and with a twist she knocked him down so his hat fell off. He scrambled to grab it.

"This is to ironic" Andromeda muttered. The vase of black and white roses clammed into the man's head. He groaned and collapsed. "Thanks Wade" she murmured. Rising she headed for her phone. Then a beeping greeted her ears. She walked over and pulled a phone from the pocket of Top Hat.

She answered it.

"Is it done?"

"Uh-huh" Andromeda said in a deep voice.

"Good, get out to the station quickly and pretend you were watching her, tell him Batman and Robin did it – actually no, let me…" Andromeda hung up on Iola with a growl.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. Terry stood up and walked to the door. When he opened it the flash of light staggered him. Iola sauntered in and posed. "Hey there Batsy" she smiled. Terry's jaw dropped. "What? Surprised? Well I'm full of tricks…wait until you see the next one" 

Veronica appeared in the doorway – Masque and his goons entered. She screamed. Terry shouted her name and ran to her. "Sun. Moon. Open fire!" he exclaimed. Wielding pulse rifles the two men shot at Veronica and Terry as they kicked the doors shut.

"What – why are they here?" Veronica gasped as Terry shoved a bookcase across the doors.

"Probably to rob Mr. Wayne! Oh no…come on!" he pulled open the door to the kitchen. Naughty and Nice were standing there, they kicked him back in. Veronica gave a shout and hit them with a long, standing lamp.

"Get away from him!" Veronica cried as Naughty grabbed the lamp. "here have it" she quipped, Naughty fell backwards onto her but as Veronica released the lamp mid tug-of-war. Nice pulled her petite pistol from her bodice straps. Veronica smacked her with a quick left hook and shoved the girl over. Terry stared in surprise. "hey, a gutsy reporter has to know how to handle herself -" she smiled.

"Yeah – way to go – come on" Terry said. He grabbed her hand and led her through the kitchen and up a flight of stairs there. He weaved through the manor until he reached Bruce's room. He opened the door and dragged Veronica in.

"Terry?" Bruce was reading in the corner.

"Uh – yeah – we have villains in the house" Terry said. "Iola and Masque got it – I don't know how but they bypassed the gates and are after us"

Bruce reached for his cane and Ace gave a growl. "Terry! Look out" the door was slammed inwards as Terry and Veronica leapt away from it. Left and Wright stormed in. Terry lashed out with a kick to Left's chest followed by a grab of the man's shoulders that turned into a judo toss.

Veronica grabbed a tea tray and hit Wright with it. "Back. Off. Scum" she exclaimed as she whacked him across the face. Bruce rose and tripped a masked man with his cane. He then elbowed another man away. Two Assistants entered in their purple sequined outfits. Bruce tripped both women and Veronica tossed one into a wardrobe, sealing it with a fire poker, while Terry hit a pressure point on the other to knock her out.

"We have to get out of here" Terry exclaimed.

* * *

Chris skidded to a halt and shuddered. He felt something really bad…he had to go home. 

Terry and Bruce rushed along the balconied upper level. "hey! Party ain't over!" Masque called. His thugs rushed from all passages forcing Veronica, Terry and Bruce down the stairs to escape. Iola cackled as her Assistants and Waiters rushed forwards. Terry kicked one down a flight of stairs, Veronica punched an assistant and Bruce swung his cane with deadly accuracy.

"That's impressive" Iola said. "Fighting til the bitter end"

"So passé I CAN'T BELIEVE THESE LUGHEADS DON'T JUST DIE but I respect the fact they do this noble thing THE JERKS" he watched for another little while. "Grab the GIRL" he roared

Naughty and Nice grabbed Veronica, digging in nails and slapping her vindictively. "Let go of me! Terry! TERRY!"

"Veronica!" Terry exclaimed. He reached for her but was pulled back by a thug. He fought even harder as Veronica was dragged out the door. Iola sighed and waved her wand. The Blast of light hit Bruce and he staggered at the top of the stairs to crumple into a heap there. Masque looked at her, nodded and pointed his pistol.

The shot didn't hit Terry perfectly but it grazed his side he stumbled and slid down the stairs. Iola walked forwards and placed a large mirror strapped to a large star of C4 on the steps near his head. "Well – this is goodbye Batman…may you give someone else a hard time" she tapped the buttons and the 10 minute countdown appeared in the reflection. "Ta-ta" she smirked.

"I still think we should have BLOWN HIS GODDAMN BRAINS OFF and all that" Masque sighed.

"Ah – but why bother if he should come too he'll be able to enjoy 2 minutes before the bomb goes off" she shut the doors and placed a mirror on the lock. "In a barricaded house. If he's lucky that is – besides the bomb will take out the house and send shrapnel everywhere…he's toast anyway."

Chris rattled the doors, the mirror on the back door seemed to be making the door unworkable. He ran back to his bike and revved up – the full weight of the bike crashed into the door and thrust it open.

"Terry? Mr Wayne? GRANDFATHER" he shouted. "GRANDMERE?" He skidded to a halt at the foot of the stairs. Terry was lying beside a bomb…"Terry?" Chris shook Terry but to no avail. He glanced at the bomb.

4 minutes…oh crud, he couldn't get it away safely if all the doors were barricaded… cursing Chris picked it up

* * *

TBC – Seriously it will be. 

_Been AGES since I updated. Just let this slide since I haven't seen an episode in so long._

_Next chapter will be the last or second last. Okay bye_


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